North Carolina State athletic director Debbie Yow sent a letter to jittery fans and alumni as the school's search for a men's basketball coach drags on, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Tuesday.
The letter, sent Monday night, came on the heels of Shaka Smart turning down the Wolfpack's offer Monday in favor of a long-term deal to stay at VCU. Smart was at least the fourth coach to turn down NC State's overtures, the paper reported.
"The conversations [with candidates] have been candid ... Finding a coach with the fight and fire to do this job has been a challenge," Yow wrote. "That said, we will find an excellent college coach who shares the vision of what State Basketball can become and is up for the challenge."
"I realize there are multiple rumors surfacing about the nature of the search on websites and in newspapers. Once our new coach is hired, I will be in a position to bring perspective to a number of those rumors. But, right now, we need to remain focused on finding a talented collegiate coach who is a fighter, full of confidence and appreciation for the opportunity to lead our basketball program back to national prominence."
Smart, 33, fresh off the Rams' shocking run to the Final Four inked a new eight-year deal worth $1.2 million per season, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Fox Sports reported Monday that NC State had offered Smart about $2 million per year.
Other coaches who reportedly passed on the opening were Arizona's Sean Miller, Cincinnati's Mick Cronin and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall.
It is unclear who Yow's next target will be after her decision last month to part ways with Sidney Lowe, who failed to make the NCAA Tournament in his five seasons on the bench for the Wolfpack.
