Candidates' statements may belie interest in job

As the search for a new men's basketball coach moves on, more and more candidates continue to say that they are not interested in the job.

But their statements may be misleading.

Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon, an assistant under former Penn coach Fran Dunphy from 1989-95, told The Express Times of Easton, Pa. that he doesn't plan on interviewing with athletic director Steve Bilsky.

"I'd like to help Penn, but I'm committed here," he said. "I want Penn to get a good coach. I love the place. It's a great spot in a great city."

O'Hanlon, considered by many close to the program to be the best choice to replace Dunphy, said he is at least 99 percent sure that he will honor the 10-year contract he signed in 2004 with the Leopards. He also said he would not be convinced to change his mind even if Penn offered him a significant salary increase.

It was always unclear as to whether O'Hanlon would be interested in the Penn job, as his program was just awarded athletic scholarships for the first time.

Brown coach Glen Miller, considered to be another of the leading candidates for the Penn job, also publicly stated his desire to keep his job this weekend.

He told his hometown paper, The Day of New London, Conn., that he plans on staying at Brown and working out a contract extension.

Miller said he is not a formal candidate for the Penn job and does not plan on interviewing with Bilsky.

Those close to the search, however, say that both O'Hanlon and Miller may be more interested in the Penn job than their statements imply.

They do not want to appear eager to leave their current schools if they don't get the Penn job. Moreover, they do not want current and potential recruits to worry about their coach leaving.

Jackson won't return

One coach who is clearly out of the picture is Gil Jackson, the former Dunphy assistant who is now the head coach of Howard.

Those close to the Penn search have long stated that, unlike Miller and O'Hanlon, Jackson would not be a candidate for the job due to the fact that he just took over the Howard program last year.

Jackson solidified his position this weekend to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"The timing is not right for me to consider a job change," Jackson said. "I'm happy down here at Howard. I'm committed to turning the program around."

Taylor not called yet

Sources continue to name Lehigh coach Billy Taylor as one of, if not the, favorite to replace Dunphy.

Taylor is not talking to the media, but on Friday, a Lehigh spokesman said he had not yet been asked to interview for the Penn job.

It's likely only a matter of time before Bilsky -- who was away on vacation last week -- gives him a call.

Should he get the job, Taylor might be able to help his players in Wharton with their homework. Before becoming a basketball coach, the 1995 Notre Dame graduate worked for three years at Arthur Andersen, where he was a senior accountant and then a senior consultant.

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