After being spurned by a few big-name coaches, Oregon has, according to sources, turned its attention to Tubby Smith.
Oregon, which recently fired athletic director Mike Bellotti, is trying to lure an elite coach to the school largely due to its connection to Oregon-based Nike.
However, most top-tier coaches understand that the job isn’t nearly as attractive as the Ducks believe it to be. Sure, there’s the Nike connection -- but the recruiting base is often bare and even with a state-of-the-art new building set to open, it’s an average Pac-10 job.
Oregon attempted to get guys like Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon, but were spurned by all three.
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo has been mentioned, but sources told FOXSports.com that there is “no shot” the Spartans coach has any interest in moving to Eugene.
Now Smith, 58, who has spent the last three seasons at Minnesota, has risen to the top of the Ducks wish list.
Smith led the Gophers to their second consecutive NCAA tournament this past season.
One source close to the coach said he doubts that Smith would take the Oregon job and if that’s the case, it’ll be interesting to see where Pat Kilkenny, the former athletic director who appears to be leading the search, focuses his attention.
Sources have told FOXSports.com that the next target could be Butler’s Brad Stevens, the 33-year-old who has led the Bulldogs to the Final Four.
Former Oregon assistant and current Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon is another candidate, but sources indicate he is close to signing a new deal that will keep him in College Station.
That could wind up bumping names such as BYU’s Dave Rose and Saint Mary’s Randy Bennett up the list, although it’s clear that Kilkenny and any other decision-makers in the process would like to bring in a guy who can instantly boost ticket sales.
