Geiger still looking for coach

Geiger still looking for coach

Ohio State athletics director Andy Geiger said he won't hire a new men's basketball coach until after the NCAA championship game Monday. ''That would be impossible. I'm not even close to shooting for that.'' he told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer for a story Saturday. Geiger talked to candidates for the job Friday and Saturday while in Indianapolis for the NCAA Final Four. They include Boston College coach Jim O'Brien, Illinois State coach Kevin Stallings, former UCLA coach Jim Harrick, George Washington coach Mike Jarvis and Southwest Missouri State coach Steve Alford. O'Brien, who coached the Eagles to their first Big East tournament championship this year and a third NCAA berth in four seasons, confirmed a telephone conversation with Geiger on Saturday but declined additional comment. A three-year contract extension has been on O'Brien's desk since January, but he has not signed it because of administrative negotiations with the school's admissions office. Jarvis, who is 128-81 in seven years at George Washington, also would not provide details of his talk with Geiger. ''We just basically had a conversation,'' Jarvis said. ''That's the best description I can give.'' Alford, an All-American at Indiana who led the Hoosiers to the 1987 national championship, met with Geiger on Saturday for the first time after receiving a telephone call from him nearly two weeks ago. He is making no secret of his interest in coaching at Ohio State. ''He'd never met me before, so it was just a get-acquainted session,'' said Alford. ''It was a pleasant meeting. I was grateful for the opportunity to sit down with him.'' Alford, who received a four-year contract extension at Southwest Missouri on Wednesday, said Friday that OSU is the only school he would consider moving to at this time. Alford, 32, dispelled the fear in some OSU circles that he would learn on the job in Columbus until Bob Knight leaves Indiana, then bolt for his alma mater. ''If I go to Ohio State, there is no other move after that,'' Alford said. ''Ohio State would be my final move.'' The Plain Dealer reported in a story published Sunday that Geiger still had not spoken with Providence coach Pete Gillen, mentioned earlier as a candidate. Geiger declined to comment on any candidate with whom he had spoken. Harrick also declined to comment. Stallings, who turned down the Tennessee job on Thursday, confirmed Friday that he had talked with Ohio State. ''I have spoken with Andy Geiger and expressed my feelings about the Ohio State job,'' said Stallings, who played at Purdue from 1979 to 1982 and served as an assistant with the Boilermakers (1983-88) and Kansas (1988-93) before taking over at Illinois State. ''I would not publicly campaign or express interest in any job other than the one I have. That would be unprofessional.'' Stallings' 82-42 record includes a 24-6 record this season and a first-round loss to Iowa State in the NCAA tournament.