Gregory Not Interested in Rutgers; Echenique Committed to Creighton

Dayton coach Brian Gregory is reportedly a candidate for the Rutgers’ vacancy, but he says he hasn’t had any official conversations with Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti and is not interested in the job.

“I’m not interested in leaving Dayton. … I’m concerned with helping this team and the incoming players have a great summer and continuing to recruit the guys who can help us in the future,” Gregory told Doug Harris of the Dayton Daily News.

Gregory was reportedly offered the jobs at Boston College and Iowa but turned them down. He has a contract at Dayton that runs through 2018.

He spent 10 years as an assistant at Michigan State, which would be an attractive piece of his resume should Rutgers end up in the Big Ten.

“I understand why people are interested and why his name is being bandied about all the time,” Dayton Athletic Director Tim Wabler told Harris. “But he’s made a commitment to us, and we’ve made a commitment to him.”

Others in the mix at Rutgers are ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, former 76ers coach Eddie Jordan, Temple coach Fran Dunphy and potentially Robert Morris coach Mike Rice.

ECHENIQUE COMMITTED TO CREIGHTON

Just a few months after transferring to Creighton from Rutgers, center Gregory Echenique watched as Creighton coach Dana Altman left to take the Oregon job.

What does that mean for the former St. Benedict’s Prep and Rutgers standout?

“I’m not thinking about going anywhere” Echenique told Matt Perrault of www.TheBluejaycafe.com. “There is no need for me to go anywhere else. I talked to my family. They think I’m fine here. I’m not going anywhere.

“I’m looking forward to playing at the Qwest and we’ve made some great progress already. Hopefully we can get a coach in here quickly and we get things going back in the right direction.”

Altman was then replaced by former Iowa State coach Greg McDermott. The 6-9 Echenique said he isn’t familiar with McDermott but hopes for the best.

“I really don’t know him so I wouldn’t be able to comment on him,” Echenique told Perrault. “I haven’t talked to him. So I really don’t know. Hopefully, it will be a good fit for us.”

Echenique was one of three sophomores to transfer out this past season, including Pat Jackson (undecided) and Mike Rosario (Florida).

(Photo courtesy Dayton Daily News)

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