Since Fran Dunphy announced his departure to Temple last Monday, former Saint John's coach Mike Jarvis has been rumored to be a dark horse candidate for the Penn job.
After all, Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky already hired Jarvis once -- when Bilsky was the athletic director at George Washington.
Yesterday, Jarvis, who is currently working as a college basketball analyst at ESPN, confirmed that he would be interested in the job if it were offered to him. However, he said that he has not been contacted by Bilsky.
"Penn is one of those very unique places," Jarvis said. "There aren't many jobs like it in the United States, where you can be a teacher and work with some of the brightest minds in the country, but at the same time be expected to win and make the NCAA Tournament every year.
"I'd be interested in talking. If Steve Bilsky thought I could win, I'd love to interview with him."
Jarvis noted, however, that he is not sure whether Bilsky will contact him for the job. He said that the two rarely speak.
A 1968 Northeastern graduate, Jarvis is one of four Division I basketball coaches to win 100 games at three different schools: Boston University, George Washington and St. John's.
In 2003, after a lack of success and the arrest of two of his players -- one for drug possession and one for assault -- he resigned from his job at St. John's.
Seen on campus
Several sources close to the basketball program said they saw Cornell coach Steve Donahue on campus Monday for an interview.
Donahue was an assistant under Dunphy before taking over the Big Red program six years ago.
These sources added that Lehigh coach Billy Taylor has also come to campus for an interview.
A statement from Lehigh, however, maintains that Taylor has not been asked by Bilsky to interview for the vacancy.
Taylor was also rumored to be on the short list for the Virginia Commonwealth job, but former Florida assistant coach Anthony Grant was announced as the Rams' new coach yesterday.
Kach and shoot
Last week, sophomore Michael Kach said he was planning on returning to the basketball team, causing people to assume that it was Dunphy's departure that persuaded the guard to return.
But Kach, who was Penn's sixth man his freshman year, adamantly denies this.
"I knew I was going to come back before Dunphy even decided" to leave.
Instead, Kach said a renewed passion for the game has fueled a desire to comeback, after pressures from schoolwork and family issues caused him to walk away in the middle of the 2004-05 season.
And what has Kach been doing to keep in shape since then?
Aside from simply hitting the weights, he has taken up boxing.
Oz ready for next level
Eric Osmundson, the Penn senior who captained the basketball team this past season, hopes to continue his playing career after he graduates.
He will be participating in the VCU SportsCenter Invitational Showcase starting May 30, where he will have a chance to play in front of scouts from the NBA, National Basketball Development League and European teams.
Last year, Cornell's Cody Toppert played at the same tournament and landed a contract with his hometown Albuquerque, N.M., Thunderbirds of the NBDL.
For now, Osmundson is working out at Saint Joseph's with Temple's Mardy Collins (who is projected to be a first round pick in June's NBA Draft) and La Salle's Steven Smith.
Osmundson said that assistant coach Matt Langel, who played in Switzerland and France after graduating from Penn, has been essential in helping him find a good agent.
Friedrich Ebede, the team's other senior, isn't expected to play professionally.
More support for Duke
Osmundson became yet another player in the Penn program to throw his support behind assistant coach Dave Duke to become Dunphy's replacement.
"I think it's important to have someone that knows the program," he said. "I think coach Duke brings that element of consistency."
The outgoing Penn captain said that he hopes players on the team are consulted during the search.
"I think ultimately, it should be the players who should have the most say in it," Osmundson said. "They are the only ones who really know what goes on on a daily basis at practice."
He said that the hiring of Duke would also allow Langel and Shawn Trice to stay on as assistant coaches.
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