New coach for Baylor?

[Corso]

Found this on SportingNews.com:




Reports: Valpo's Drew will coach Baylor


WACO, Texas -- Scott Drew will leave Valparaiso to take over the challenge of repairing a Baylor basketball team torn apart by the death of a player, the shame-filled resignation of coach Dave Bliss, a string of transfers and potentially strong NCAA violations, according to reports.

Houston television station KRIV and the Waco Tribune-Herald reported Thursday afternoon that Drew was expected to be announced as the new coach on Friday.

"I can't confirm that at this point," Baylor spokesman Larry Brumley told The Associated Press.

He did say, however, that the search committee was "moving very quickly."

Baylor's athletic department referred questions about the coaching situation to Brumley, and a message left at the basketball office wasn't returned. Valparaiso officials said Drew was in a meeting and the coach did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Drew has only one year of head coaching experience, going 20-11 and reaching the NIT last season. He spent the nine previous seasons as an assistant to his father, Homer Drew, at Valparaiso. Their most memorable season was 1998, when they reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament with a team led by his brother, Bryce, who hit a miracle shot to beat Mississippi in the opening round that year.

At 32, Scott Drew is one of the youngest coaches in Division I. As an assistant to his father, he was known as a resourceful recruiter, having brought in many players from Europe, Africa and South America.

Bliss and athletic director Tom Stanton resigned Aug. 8, the same day that school president Robert Sloan said the school had placed itself on a two-year probation.

Baylor launched an internal inquiry in July into possible NCAA violations, after allegations surfaced of improper payments to players following Patrick Dennehy's disappearance. Dennehy was found shot to death July 25, and former Baylor player Carlton Dotson remains in a Maryland jail awaiting extradition to Texas to face charges in the death.

The inquiry found that Bliss was directly involved in paying tuition costs and other expenses for Dennehy and another player. It also found that failed drug tests by players weren't properly reported.

Since then, secretly recorded taped conversations of Bliss have shown he asked players to lie to investigators to try to portray Dennehy as a drug dealer.

As part of its self-imposed penalty, Baylor won't play in any postseason tournaments next season, including the Big 12 tournament. The school also offered players to be released from their scholarships, allowing them to transfer to other schools. The NCAA on Wednesday said it would waive the one-year transfer period and let the players be eligible at their new schools immediately.

Junior center Lawrence Roberts, the team's leading scorer and rebounder last season, transferred to Mississippi State. Junior guard Kenny Taylor said he is transferring to Texas, and incoming freshman center Tyrone Nelson instead enrolled at Prairie View A&M.

Junior guard John Lucas III has also asked for his release, and the second leading scorer has said he won't return. Senior forward R.T. Guinn, sophomore forward Tommy Swanson and junior college transfer Harvey Thomas also asked for their releases.

Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[OldPony]

If he is as good as his dad, he'll bring Baylor back as quickly as anyone who would be available to them . This is a great hire when dealing from Baylor's position today.