Mizzou's Haith Apparently Agrees to Coach Tulsa

[Ponymon]

http://tinyurl.com/ncxu4l8

Tulsa targets Haith for coaching job

3 hours ago • By Dave Matter dmatter@post-dispatch.com 314-340-850856

COLUMBIA, Mo. • Arriving by himself at Columbia Regional Airport, Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith boarded a private jet Thursday afternoon that was bound for Tulsa, Okla., where he’s expected to meet with Tulsa University athletics director Derrick Gragg to interview for the Golden Hurricane's head coaching position.

Earlier in the day, Mizzou’s administration granted Haith permission to interview for the job, according to a university source. Haith also met with MU players at Mizzou Arena before leaving for the airport.

Haith declined to answer reporters’ questions as he lugged a backpack and a rolling suitcase across the tarmac to the plane.

While the plane was in the air, CBSSports.com reported that Haith agreed in principle to become Tulsa's next coach. Earlier in the day, multiple media outlets reported that Tulsa had focused its search on the 48-year-old Haith. CBSSports.com first reported the news, quoting an anonymous source saying, “Frank is looking for a way out of Missouri. This might be it.”

Tulsa, a member of the American Athletic Conference, is in the market for a new coach after Danny Manning left earlier this month for the head coaching job at Wake Forest.

A source told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday that it’s “very likely” Haith leaves Mizzou for Tulsa.

Haith is three years into a six-year contract at Missouri that pays him a guaranteed salary of $1.7 million. His original deal was through April 2016 with an additional year automatically added after his first season.

Haith led Mizzou to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons after replacing Mike Anderson, but the Tigers struggled down the stretch this season and settled for the National Invitation Tournament. Mizzou finished tied for sixth in the Southeastern Conference and ended the year 23-12 with a second-round exit in the NIT.

Haith is 71-28 in three seasons at Missouri, which does not include the Tigers’ five wins this past season when Haith served an NCAA suspension stemming from the investigation into recruiting allegations during his time at the University of Miami.

Media reports have also linked Southern Miss’ Donnie Tyndall, Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew, Mercer’s Bob Hoffman and New Mexico State’s Marvin Menzies with the vacancy at Tulsa.

This is the first major coaching search for Gragg, a former Mizzou athletics administrator who came to Tulsa in March of 2013 after spending the previous seven years as AD at Eastern Michigan. Before that he worked in the athletics administration at Arkansas. In 1995, Gragg was named director of compliance and operations at Mizzou and spent two years there.

[b_caesar]

Wait just a minute here - an SEC coach may be leaving his current job to become a coach for a (soon to be) AAC conference team? Interesting.

[StandUp]

What is the reason for Haith's jumping around. Kansas (Big 12) Miami (ACC) Missouri (SEC) now Tulsa (AAC). Haith seems to get in trouble with the NCAA everywhere he goes. Maybe I am missing something? Maybe it is his players and boosters? Not sure.

Why would any school roll the dice on this guy? Is he a good recruiter? A good x's and o's guy? A player's coach?

[mustangxc]

Has a great staff that excels in recruiting. Gets solid results, but does not exceed expectations. Moves on to a new challenge before coaching on the hot seat.

[CoxMustangFan]

What is the reason for Haith's jumping around. Kansas (Big 12) Miami (ACC) Missouri (SEC) now Tulsa (AAC). Haith seems to get in trouble with the NCAA everywhere he goes. Maybe I am missing something? Maybe it is his players and boosters? Not sure.

Why would any school roll the dice on this guy? Is he a good recruiter? A good x's and o's guy? A player's coach?

Not at Kansas.

[RGV Pony]

Texas wasn't it?

[CoxMustangFan]

Texas wasn't it?

And A&M

[CoxMustangFan]

Tulsa really went from one extreme to the other in DMan to Haith.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Obviously the Missouri connections played a big part in this one but definitely an interesting hire for many reasons.