Oregon gets permission from MU to talk to Anderson about open job

[dpg4zombie]

http://campuscorner.kansascity.com/node/842

why would MU allow this?

[KcMizzou]

The deal is done.

Anderson breaks silence, will stay at Mizzou
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star

COLUMBIA | Mike Anderson will return to Missouri for a fifth season as its men’s basketball coach, spurning what was widely reported to be a hefty salary increase had he accepted an offer from Oregon.

The word of Anderson’s decision came from the MU athletic department via telephone just before 8:30 Saturday night.

“It’s certainly flattering any time another university notices what your program is accomplishing and when I was approached by Oregon, I decided to listen, but it was simply with my family in mind,” Anderson said in a statement released by the school later Saturday. “All that quick conversation did was reaffirm that Missouri is home to us.”

Thus ended a nearly 48-hour span of speculation and — on the part of Missouri officials — consternation.

In several telephone conversations with Anderson in just the previous 24 hours, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden told The Star on Saturday morning that he hoped Anderson would not take the Oregon offer, believed to have been in the range of $2 million to $2.5 million a season.

“Mizzou is the place we want him to be,” Alden said. “We want him here. We made that clear.”

Alden said he believed MU had made that evident 11 months ago when it more than doubled Anderson’s yearly guaranteed compensation to $1.55 million in a seven-year contract that came on the heels of MU reaching the NCAA Elite Eight.

The Eugene (Oregon) Register Guard newspaper, on its Web site Saturday, raised the possibility that Missouri might not be willing to raise Anderson’s compensation again.

Alden declined to comment on that question earlier Saturday. But more than half a dozen members of MU’s academic and athletic administration and some influential boosters indicated to The Star that Missouri would likely not increase Anderson’s compensation in response to Oregon’s offer.

Several of those persons told The Star that to do so now risked setting a precedent in which Anderson could make new salary increases a yearly request in a time when economic conditions within the University of Missouri system were spartan at best.

Anderson remained early Saturday in El Paso, Texas, where he was taking part in a charity golf event organized by his mentor and former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson. Anderson twice on Friday refused comment when approached by reporters in El Paso. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, did not return a request for comment made by The Star.

The Eugene newspaper reported Saturday that Anderson met with former Oregon AD Pat Kilkenny in El Paso and that “it wasn’t a lengthy meeting,” according to an unnamed source, but one detailed enough to allow Kilkenny to outline Oregon’s proposal to Anderson.

After Anderson’s decision to stay at Mizzou, Oregon has now reportedly been turned aside by five coaches in which the school either offered or discussed with the job to replace Ernie Kent, fired at the end of the last college season.

As the news of Anderson’s decision came out, the general reaction of MU fans on Internet message boards seemed to be of relief. Earlier in the day, the tone of many of those posts was critical of Anderson’s decision not to comment.

Now, when Anderson takes the rostrum at Mizzou Arena at 1 p.m. today to open Missouri’s team basketball banquet, it will be as a coach looking forward to driving his team — which features a projected top-10 national recruiting class — to a third straight NCAA Tournament. Not as a coach trying to explain why he was leaving.

“We plan on taking Tiger basketball to new heights,” Anderson added in his statement. “Oregon is a great university, but Mizzou is a special place for me and my family and I’m proud to be your basketball coach here at Mizzou.”

[DeezNutz]

Good for Mizzou and good for the Big XII.

Anderson is a high-quality coach and individual.

[tk13]

Wait a minute, late breaking news. Mike Anderson has agreed to a new deal to become head coach of the Detroit Lions. Press conference Monday.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Sounds like it's official. Excellent.



http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/17...tay-at-mu.html

I am happy

[KChiefs1]

Here's the last word on the whole deal:

Missouri's Anderson says no to Oregon overtures
By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER (AP)

COLUMBIA, Mo. — For the second time in just over one year, Missouri coach Mike Anderson has turned down a hefty raise and the chance to revive a moribund power conference program to remain with the Tigers.

The latest suitor was Oregon, which fired Ernie Kent a month ago after a 16-16 season and ninth-place finish in the Pac-10. Anderson confirmed Sunday that the job was his if he desired.

"We listened," he said. "I owe it to my family."

Anderson met with former Oregon athletics director Pat Kilkenny on Thursday night while in El Paso, Texas, for a charity golf tournament hosted by his mentor, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson.

Anderson issued a statement Saturday night affirming his commitment to Missouri, but the two-day silence and the timing of the interview — Missouri hosts its year-end team banquet Sunday afternoon — raised concerns in Columbia.

Anderson just completed his fourth season at Missouri and has led the team to two consecutive NCAA tournaments after a five-year drought. He signed a seven-year, $10.85 million contract extension one year ago after leading the team to a record 31-win season that ended one game short of the Final Four.

That pay raise came soon after Georgia reportedly offered Anderson more than $2.5 million to lead its program. Oregon, which has tried to lure other high-profile coaches to replace Kent, was reported to be willing to pay even more, thanks to school benefactor and Nike founder Phil Knight.

Such overtures from other programs are the price of success, Anderson told reporters Sunday before the team banquet.

"There are going to be other (interested) schools," he said. "When you have success, that's what takes place."

Anderson said that all along his heart remains with Missouri. He hailed a "tremendous recruiting class" that ranks among the nation's best and includes point guard Phil Pressey of Dallas and his older brother Matt, a junior college transfer. Their father is former NBA guard and New Orleans Hornets assistant coach Paul Pressey, Anderson's former teammate and roommate at Tulsa.

"A lot of people fail to understand Mike Anderson, who he is," Anderson said. "My players are my family."

Missouri was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 this past season, but went 23-11 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament despite the loss of three 1,000-point scorers. Anderson's 54 wins over the last two seasons is second-best in school history.

Anderson said he doesn't expect his flirtations with other job offers to cost him back home.

"I don't think there will be any backlash," he said.