The revolving door just keeps on moving.
As many had expected, former Penn assistant coach Shawn Trice was hired by Temple coach Fran Dunphy last Thursday, becoming the third -- and maybe not the final -- member of last year's coaching staff now with the Owls.
Trice, who played for Penn from 1991-95 and helped the Quakers win three Ivy League titles, returned to his alma mater for the 2005-2006 season after spending seven years at the YMCA in his hometown of Detroit. He has also played professionally overseas in both Sweden and Taiwan.
"Shawn Trice made a tremendous impact on our staff at Penn in his first season," Dunphy said in a statement. "He is an extremely hard worker and has a good approach to the game."
Trice did not return requests for comment.
Quaker notes
Glen Miller has spent the last few weeks settling into his role as the new men's basketball coach, and though he is prohibited by NCAA rules from actively coaching his players, he still has some problems to sort out.
Chief among them been firming up next year's schedule, selecting more assistant coaches, and keeping in contact with recruits.
One of the more intriguing issues, though, is the possibility of one of his former Brown players following him to Philadelphia.
Miller insisted that he has not been "looking to recruit any players off the Brown roster," but he strongly implied that one of his former recruits has shown an interest in making the move.
"Athletes have their own interests, which they are entitled to pursue," he said. He went on to say that he may have been in contact with that one player, but that it was "inappropriate" for him to comment further.
Bears sophomore Keenan Jeppesen has been rumored to be that player, but he has made nothing public as of yet. Jeppesen did not return a request for comment.
Miller also said that Jon Lane, a 6-6 forward from the Fieldston School in the Bronx, will still be afforded a chance to walk on to Penn's team.
Lane will attend Penn next year but was never officially recruited by Dunphy. According to Lane's high school coach, Dunphy advised Lane that he could potentially make next year's roster, and Miller intends to follow through on that offer if possible.
No divine Providence?
While head coaches at Temple and Penn are sorting out staffing issues, Brown Athletic Director Michael Goldberger is sorting out a far serious personnel problem --- that of finding a new men's basketball coach.
Miller formally left the Bears on April 25, and the search for a replacement has dragged on for a full month.
Several candidates have been rumored to be potential replacements, but some of those have not received interest from Goldberger as of yet.
Kevin Jaskiewicz is the only one of Miller's assistants at Brown who has not taken another job, and he would be a logical front-runner to take over for his former boss.
Miller confirmed that Jaskiewicz was in the running, but said that he has not been asked by Goldberger to recommend anyone for the position. He also said that Jaskiewicz is in the running for a Division III coaching job, though he refused to elaborate.
Another man considered to be in a prime position to jump to the Ivy League does not appear to be a candidate at this point.
Navy assistant coach John Krekorian, who graduated from Penn in 1996, says he has not yet applied for the job and has heard nothing from the Brown athletic department. He does, though, hope to become a candidate and sees himself fitting in well in a strong academic conference.
"That's what I'm working towards," he said "I've certainly built a niche for myself" as someone with a commitment to the student-athlete. "I feel I can connect with them, which in turn allows you to be very successful."
Prior to joining coach Billy Lange at Navy, Krikorian served as an assistant at Lafayette (with former Quakers assistant Fran O' Hanlon), and Penn (under Dunphy).
Other choices likely include Williams head coach Dave Paulsen, who led the Ephs to a Division III national championship three years ago and has been a candidate for Ivy League jobs before. He did not return a request for comment.
Penn coach Dave Duke has applied for the job, and The Providence Journal has reported that D-III St. John Fisher coach Rob Kornaker and former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Steve Silas could potentially be considered as well.
Hawks lose top scorer
Next season was expected to be a rebuilding year for St. Joe's in the post-Jameer Nelson era.
But the roster suffered a huge hit yesterday when it was announced that sophomore Abdulai Jalloh, the teams' leading scorer (15) and rebounder (5.5), was granted a request to transfer.
Jalloh played a key role in Penn's loss to the Hawks in 2006, putting up 10 points and scoring what turned out to be the game-winning shot.
The relationship between Jalloh and head coach Phil Martelli had always been a rocky one, and now the guard will attempt to find a new niche for his remaining two years of eligibility.
There is no official word yet on where Jalloh is headed, but if he goes to another Division I school, he will have to sit out the following season due to NCAA transfer rules.
