KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After a week of limbo, speculation and, largely, silence, the search for a new men's basketball coach at Missouri could finally be over.
The university's Board of Curators announced today that an executive session has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at University Hall on the Columbia campus.
Among the items on the agenda, according to the posting on the university system website today, is "consideration of certain confidential or privileged communications with university counsel, negotiated contracts and personnel matters all as authorized by law and upon approval by resolution of the Board of Curators."
Precedent says that this "consideration" could very well be the final rubber stamp of approval in terms of a replacement for Frank Haith, who left Mizzou last Friday to coach the men's basketball team at Tulsa.
It also likely means a news conference to introduce a new coach could come any day now.
The only mystery, as of early Friday afternoon, is the identity of athletic director Mike Alden's new hire -- and whether said hire was Alden's first choice.
The No. 1 target of fans, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, was reportedly not contacted by Alden, or by third parties acting on behalf of the university. The Shockers' coach, who took the Missouri Valley Conference power to a Final Four in 2013 and a 35-0 start in 2013-14, reportedly makes $1.75 million annually Â-- more than the $1.6 million Haith had been earning in Columbia.
A source close to the Shockers' program told FOXSportsKansasCity.com last week that Marshall was not looking to leave Wichita at this time.
Central Missouri basketball coach Kim Anderson's name surfaced as a candidate for the Mizzou job, according to an ESPN report earlier this week, as did Texas-El Paso coach Tim Floyd, formerly of USC and Iowa State. Anderson, 58, was a Mizzou assistant under former coach Norm Stewart from 1982-85 and 1991-99; the Sedalia, Mo., native has a 274-94 record at Central Missouri, leading the Mules to an NCAA Division II national title late last month.
You can follow Sean Keeler on Twitter at @seankeeler or email him at seanmkeeler@gmail.com.
