AnotherBrickInTheWall
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ESPN.com news services
Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger will meet with Rice coach Willis Wilson at an undisclosed location, sources told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Monday.
The meeting won't take place in Columbus, Ohio, or Houston, Texas, according to sources.
Rice athletic director Bobby May told ESPN.com Monday night that he gave Geiger permission to talk to Wilson after Geiger called late last week. May said he believed the two were meeting Tuesday, which was confirmed by multiple sources.
"We've always known we've had a high caliber coach in Willis," May said. "He's a great coach and a quality person and we'd hate to lose him. But in this business that's always a possibility."
A source close to Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings told ESPN.com Monday night that a meeting with Stallings and Geiger was expected probably on Wednesday, again at an undisclosed location.
Wilson is considered one of the most respected coaches in college basketball, serving as the chair of the rules committee the past season after a four-year run on the committee. He's also on the board of directors with the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Wilson (169-175 in 12 seasons at Rice) has one of the hardest jobs in Division I, trying to attract top basketball talent to one of the most stringent academic schools. He hasn't led the Owls to the NCAA Tournament during his tenure but has been competitive in the WAC.
Rice went 20-11, 12-6 last season in the WAC and reached the NIT for only the fourth time in its history and the first since 1993, a team also coached by Wilson. The season started with the Owls winning the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. The 12 wins were the most for the Owls in the WAC since the 1996-97 season.
The 20 wins were the highest since the '92 season. The 41 wins in two seasons was the second highest total in school history, surpassed by a combined 43 in 1940 and '41.
Wilson, who graduated after playing at Rice in 1982, was an assistant at Rice for five seasons (1988-91) before leaving to go to Stanford as an assistant for one season in 1991-92. He arrived at Stanford as Geiger was leaving as athletic director. Wilson spent one season at Stanford before becoming the head coach at Rice in '92.
Wilson was interviewed for the Illinois job last year before AD Ron Guenther hired Bruce Weber of Southern Illinois.
Wilson is the second known coach who has been granted permission to speak with Geiger about the Ohio State opening after Jim O'Brien was fired June 8 for admitting he gave $6,000 to prospect Aleksander Radejovic during the 1998-99 season.
Full ESPN story: <a href='http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1830876' target='_blank'>http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1830876</a>
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06-28-2004 10:29 PM |
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