By ADAM ZAGORIA
BOSTON — Rhode Island athletic director Thorr Bjorn hopes to name a successor to Dan Hurley within the next “10-14 days,” he told ZAGSBLOG.
Hurley on Friday was introduced as the new coach at UConn, where he agreed to a six-year deal that will pay him $2.75 million the first year.
During his introductory press conference, Hurley mentioned that one of his former assistants remains in the mix for the Rhode Island job. Although he did not mention David Cox by name, it is thought Hurley would like to see Cox get the position. Tom Moore, another of Hurley’s assistants, is coming to UConn with him.
Cox was never tabbed “coach-in-waiting,” despite reports, but he does have language in his contract that says if he is not named head coach following Hurley’s departure for another job, he would be paid $150,000, sources said.
Cox, a former AAU coach with the DC Assault and former Rutgers assistant, is largely responsible for the Rams’ 2018 recruiting class, ranked No. 30 nationally by 247Sports.com, and No. 1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Other names linked to the job are Vermont coach John Becker, UMBC coach Ryan Odom and former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, although multiple sources said it’s unlikely Pitino would get the job at this point..
Pitino, who was let go last fall by Louisville in the wake of the FBI investigation into bribery in college basketball, has roots in New England, having coached at Boston University and Providence. Pitino, who has steadfastly maintained his innocence through both the FBI scandal and the stripper scandal at Louisville, has also been linked to various NBA openings. He’s repeatedly said he hopes to get back into coaching — at any level.
“It doesn’t have to be for a lot of money, it doesn’t have to be at a high level,” he told the Washington Post. “I want you to believe in me, and what I teach…If you believe in me, I’ll consider it.”
The Rams won the A-10 regular-season title and finished 26-8, losing to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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