West Virginia University Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker is searching for his third men’s basketball coach since the summer of 2023.
Drake’s head basketball coach Ben McCollum is in his first season in the program after taking over following the departure of Darian DeVries for WVU.
McCollum has garnered attention since turning around his alma mater, Norwest Missouri State, and has gained more traction after leading the Bulldogs to a MVC regular season title and conference title for the second time in program history – first achieving the feat in 2008.
On Wednesday during a press conference prior to the NCAA tournament, McCollum was asked about the rumors swirling around him about some of the vacant positions around the country.
“Some of those rumors have been around for six, seven, eight years,” McCollum said. “It’s just the nature of having a level of success. It’s kind of a gift and a curse, I guess. I’ve tried over the years -you’ve learned how to not have a divided heart and to focus everything on the team that you have. That’s what I’ll continue to do, is focus all my attention on this team.
“That’s what I did for seven, eight years at Northwest Missouri State and then eventually we made the move to Drake. That’s what I’ll continue to do here. I haven’t taken six jobs at this point. According to social media, I probably have, though. This (NCAA Tournament) is a great accomplishment, and this is a great team. I just refuse to have a divided heart in regards to that.”
Along with West Virginia, the Iowa City (IA) native has been linked back to his hometown at the University of Iowa, Virginia and Villanova.
McCollum and his Drake Bulldogs take on Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
How to Watch & Listen to West Virginia vs. Arizona
West Virginia Isn’t a Stepping Stone Job, It’s a Sleeping Giant
Staying in House? Two Internal Options to Replace Darian DeVries
MAILBAG: Early Favorite for WVU Job, In-House Option, DeVries’ In-Season Talks + More
Source link
[ads]
Discover more from Canvas Home Wholesale.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
