02-09-2006, 08:22 AM
Pastilong intent on keeping WVU coachBy Andy Katz
ESPN.com
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West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong isn't bothering with those rumors that John Beilein would be enticed to go to any of the potential ACC or Big 12 openings that could pop in March or April.
Why?
"He's got a solid contract," Pastilong said.
The deal Pastilong is speaking of was signed last spring, after Beilein led the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight.
WVU expects to have Beilein on the sidelines for many years.
Beilein's extension takes him through the 2011-2012 season. His salary is reportedly in the area of $700,000 and he is due a raise of $20,000 in each season of the deal.
"It's a nice contract, it's a reasonable deal with a good salary and good incentives," Pastilong said. "It has good incentives. We made major renovations on the Coliseum, and we made it so he could retain good assistants. We did this all with John. This is a good situation for him."
That's why Pastilong laughs off the so-called dominoes that have Beilein shuffling off to Wake Forest if Skip Prosser were to go to Cincinnati (something that Prosser bristles at the mention of).
"All these folks that talk about the dominoes fail to realize that John Beilein has a contract with West Virginia," Pastilong said. "He and the school made a commitment, and we intend to fulfill it."
Beilein was in Pastilong's top five when Gale Catlett was pushed out four years ago. But a funny thing happened on the way to hiring him: Dan Dakich took the job, and then quit and returned to Bowling Green. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese called West Virginia and let it be known that Beilein, who was coaching at Richmond, was interested in the job. Pastilong didn't know about his interest until after Dakich had taken the job.
"Richmond was still playing in the NIT, so we weren't able to talk to him, and then we had a handshake agreement with Dakich," Pastilong said. "But then it unfolded where Dakich went back. I called John, who was out cutting the grass, and we ended up talking for four hours."
And Beilein got the job.
So, should there be a "Do Not Disturb" sign on West Virginia when a potential suitor calls for Beilein this spring?
"Put it on," Pastilong said.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
ESPN.com
Archive
West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong isn't bothering with those rumors that John Beilein would be enticed to go to any of the potential ACC or Big 12 openings that could pop in March or April.
Why?
"He's got a solid contract," Pastilong said.
The deal Pastilong is speaking of was signed last spring, after Beilein led the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight.
WVU expects to have Beilein on the sidelines for many years.
Beilein's extension takes him through the 2011-2012 season. His salary is reportedly in the area of $700,000 and he is due a raise of $20,000 in each season of the deal.
"It's a nice contract, it's a reasonable deal with a good salary and good incentives," Pastilong said. "It has good incentives. We made major renovations on the Coliseum, and we made it so he could retain good assistants. We did this all with John. This is a good situation for him."
That's why Pastilong laughs off the so-called dominoes that have Beilein shuffling off to Wake Forest if Skip Prosser were to go to Cincinnati (something that Prosser bristles at the mention of).
"All these folks that talk about the dominoes fail to realize that John Beilein has a contract with West Virginia," Pastilong said. "He and the school made a commitment, and we intend to fulfill it."
Beilein was in Pastilong's top five when Gale Catlett was pushed out four years ago. But a funny thing happened on the way to hiring him: Dan Dakich took the job, and then quit and returned to Bowling Green. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese called West Virginia and let it be known that Beilein, who was coaching at Richmond, was interested in the job. Pastilong didn't know about his interest until after Dakich had taken the job.
"Richmond was still playing in the NIT, so we weren't able to talk to him, and then we had a handshake agreement with Dakich," Pastilong said. "But then it unfolded where Dakich went back. I called John, who was out cutting the grass, and we ended up talking for four hours."
And Beilein got the job.
So, should there be a "Do Not Disturb" sign on West Virginia when a potential suitor calls for Beilein this spring?
"Put it on," Pastilong said.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.