Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham hired a search firm to help with filling the vacant head coaching position on the men's basketball team, he assembled a short list of candidates and now CSU officials are beginnign to set up interviews. According to Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal, CSU administrators will interview University of New Mexico assistant coach Craig Neal and New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies on Friday.
Neal and Menzies both appear to have a serious interest in the job as well, as noted by Smith in that same Albuquerque Journal story:
Earlier in the week, Neal said he would not comment about the CSU job, but that it was "a credit to the success that coach (Steve) Alford's had with the program (at UNM)," that his name was being mentioned.
Former NMSU regent chairman Bob Gallagher said he spoke with Menzies and athletic director McKinley Boston on Thursday, and he commented to the Journal on Menzies' behalf.
"Marvin reached out to me as a friend," Gallagher said. "There is serious interest on the part of Colorado State in Marvin. Is there interest on Marvin's part? That's premature to say at this point. The picture should be much clearer in the next 48 hours."
The other potential targets for the position include:
- Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss.
- Randy Rahe, Weber St.
- Ernie Kent, Oregon (1997-2010)
- Mike Dunlap, St. John's (assistant)
- Craig Smith, CSU Interim Head Coach
For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.