A Memphis sports fansite is reporting that head basketball coach John Calipari has agreed to coach at Kentucky, leaving the door open for Missouri's Mike Anderson at Memphis.
TigerSportsReport.com says that Memphis's athletic director has received permission to speak with Anderson about the coaching spot. Anderson was dogged with questions about his possible departure when the Missouri Tigers moved into the Sweet Sixteen in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Anderson capped his third year coaching the Tigers with a Big 12 Conference tournament title, a school-record 31 wins and a narrow loss Saturday to top-seeded Connecticut in the West Regional final. University leaders want to increase Anderson's $850,000 annual salary to at least $1 million and extend his contract for five more years.
The coach has been coy about his intentions. His name had been linked to several vacancies, including the top job in his home state of Alabama. But that position is off the table after the Crimson Tide on Friday lured Anthony Grant from Virginia Commonwealth.
Before the Connecticut game, Anderson offered one of his few public statements about his coaching status. He didn't acknowledge interest in any other jobs but also didn't say anything to put the rumors to rest.
"I'm excited about what we're doing at Missouri," he said. "We are doing some great things. If you look at these kids I have up here, I'm excited about the future."
The Tigers, who finished with a 31-7 record, lose seniors DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence. The three starters combined for nearly half of the team's scoring average of 81.5 points this season. Team leader Michael Anderson Jr., the coach's son, is also gone.
But Missouri will have starting guards J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor returning as seniors next season. They will be joined by three backcourt players who earned valuable experience as freshmen: Miguel Paul, Marcus Denmon and Kim English.
Filling the frontcourt gap created by the loss of Lyons and Carroll will be more challenging.
But after watching sophomore Justin Safford and junior Keith Ramsey more than hold their own against the Huskies in the regional championship's tense final minutes, Lyons said he expects Missouri's return to the elite ranks of college basketball to be more than one-and-done.
"A lot of people don't get to see what those guys can do because they come in the game with the defensive mind-set," he said after the Connecticut loss. "But this program is going to be the same or even better. ... Now they know success and hopefully they will keep it up."
Missouri will add at least two newcomers in the 2009-10 season: 6-foot-10 forward Keith Dewitt from Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C., and 6-foot guard Michael Dixon from Lee's Summit West near Kansas City.
Coming off a 16-16 mark and 10th place Big 12 finish in 2007-08, few expected Missouri to break out as one of the NCAA tournament's surprise teams this year. Certainly not Anderson's fellow Big 12 coaches, who before the season predicted a seventh-place conference finish.
All along, Anderson preached that his combination of high-pressure defense, physical conditioning and selfless teamwork could restore Missouri basketball to the lofty perch it occupied under longtime coach Norm Stewart.
The formula succeeded this season beyond the wildest dreams of even the most optimistic of Missouri fans, including a a second-round NCAA win over Marquette in which Missouri built a 16-point lead only to fall behind by six late in the second half before coming back and - a third-round, 102-91 romp over favored Memphis in which Anderson's team set a record for the most points ever scored against a team coached by John Calipari, Anderson's former Conference USA rival while at Alabama-Birmingham. With a 65-foot buzzer-beater just before halftime, Denmon cemented his place in NCAA tournament lore, even if he never makes another basket in his Missouri career.
The Connecticut loss denied Missouri its first Final Four appearance.
"We came from nothing," said Lawrence, who under former coach Quin Snyder barely earned a scholarship and saw little playing time. "I have never been part of a team that was more cohesive than this one."
"The future looks very bright here for Missouri."
TigerSportsReport.com says that Memphis's athletic director has received permission to speak with Anderson about the coaching spot. Anderson was dogged with questions about his possible departure when the Missouri Tigers moved into the Sweet Sixteen in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Anderson capped his third year coaching the Tigers with a Big 12 Conference tournament title, a school-record 31 wins and a narrow loss Saturday to top-seeded Connecticut in the West Regional final. University leaders want to increase Anderson's $850,000 annual salary to at least $1 million and extend his contract for five more years.
The coach has been coy about his intentions. His name had been linked to several vacancies, including the top job in his home state of Alabama. But that position is off the table after the Crimson Tide on Friday lured Anthony Grant from Virginia Commonwealth.
Before the Connecticut game, Anderson offered one of his few public statements about his coaching status. He didn't acknowledge interest in any other jobs but also didn't say anything to put the rumors to rest.
"I'm excited about what we're doing at Missouri," he said. "We are doing some great things. If you look at these kids I have up here, I'm excited about the future."
The Tigers, who finished with a 31-7 record, lose seniors DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence. The three starters combined for nearly half of the team's scoring average of 81.5 points this season. Team leader Michael Anderson Jr., the coach's son, is also gone.
But Missouri will have starting guards J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor returning as seniors next season. They will be joined by three backcourt players who earned valuable experience as freshmen: Miguel Paul, Marcus Denmon and Kim English.
Filling the frontcourt gap created by the loss of Lyons and Carroll will be more challenging.
But after watching sophomore Justin Safford and junior Keith Ramsey more than hold their own against the Huskies in the regional championship's tense final minutes, Lyons said he expects Missouri's return to the elite ranks of college basketball to be more than one-and-done.
"A lot of people don't get to see what those guys can do because they come in the game with the defensive mind-set," he said after the Connecticut loss. "But this program is going to be the same or even better. ... Now they know success and hopefully they will keep it up."
Missouri will add at least two newcomers in the 2009-10 season: 6-foot-10 forward Keith Dewitt from Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C., and 6-foot guard Michael Dixon from Lee's Summit West near Kansas City.
Coming off a 16-16 mark and 10th place Big 12 finish in 2007-08, few expected Missouri to break out as one of the NCAA tournament's surprise teams this year. Certainly not Anderson's fellow Big 12 coaches, who before the season predicted a seventh-place conference finish.
All along, Anderson preached that his combination of high-pressure defense, physical conditioning and selfless teamwork could restore Missouri basketball to the lofty perch it occupied under longtime coach Norm Stewart.
The formula succeeded this season beyond the wildest dreams of even the most optimistic of Missouri fans, including a a second-round NCAA win over Marquette in which Missouri built a 16-point lead only to fall behind by six late in the second half before coming back and - a third-round, 102-91 romp over favored Memphis in which Anderson's team set a record for the most points ever scored against a team coached by John Calipari, Anderson's former Conference USA rival while at Alabama-Birmingham. With a 65-foot buzzer-beater just before halftime, Denmon cemented his place in NCAA tournament lore, even if he never makes another basket in his Missouri career.
The Connecticut loss denied Missouri its first Final Four appearance.
"We came from nothing," said Lawrence, who under former coach Quin Snyder barely earned a scholarship and saw little playing time. "I have never been part of a team that was more cohesive than this one."
"The future looks very bright here for Missouri."
