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Thursday, April 10, 2003

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Skip Prosser Watch continued yesterday, and there are indications he will make a decision today or tomorrow about the basketball job at Pitt.

Prosser, a Carnegie native, met with Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman yesterday for a previously scheduled end-of-the-season meeting. Wellman presented Prosser with a new contract offer in an effort to keep him. Prosser made about $800,000 this past season. Pitt's offer is believed to be in the $1 million range.

Reached at his home last night in Winston-Salem, N.C., Prosser continued his stance of not speaking about the Pitt opening.

"I just don't like to talk about it," he said. "I view it as a private, personal matter. It's a personal time. I feel like I'm better served not talking about it."

Prosser is believed to be weighing Wake Forest's offer against the offer from Pitt.

Prosser did not meet with his players yesterday and no meeting is scheduled for today, according to Wake Forest player Taron Downey. "We haven't had a meeting with Coach yet," he said. "I think it's just rumors at this point. I don't really know what's going on."

One source familiar with the negotiations said he expects Prosser to make a decision in the next day or so.

"He's not the type of person who is going to keep people waiting," the source said. "That's not fair to either party." The source also said Prosser is "being pulled in a lot of different directions right now."

Another associate of Prosser agreed a decision is coming soon but said Prosser would want to see Pitt's facilities and the Petersen Events Center before signing a contract. Prosser has not visited Pitt's campus.

If anyone in Prosser's inner circle knows which way he is leaning, they're not saying.

In addition to Wellman's new offer, Wake Forest fans flooded Prosser's office with calls yesterday and planned to hold a rally today to try to convince him to stay. By late afternoon a petition with 300 signatures was posted outside his office door, begging him to stay on.

While Prosser was meeting with his athletic director, most other Division I coaches were on the road recruiting, which is why both parties would like a quick end to this situation.

Pitt would like to get the search done because the basketball program is going through an important recruiting period without a head coach. Coaches are allowed to make in-person, off-campus contact with prospective recruits until Sunday. There is a dead period from Monday through Thursday, then another contact period from April 18-30.

If a new coach is in place by the end of this week, he would have enough time to familiarize himself with his new surroundings before starting to recruit. If things with Prosser fall through, interim athletic director Marc Boehm would be under pressure to find a new coach by April 18.

Memphis Coach John Calipari, who had shown interest in the job but was not granted an interview, issued a statement yesterday saying he wanted to remain at the school.

It is likely Jamie Dixon will follow Ben Howland to UCLA if he is not the new coach. Illinois State hired Porter Moser as its new coach yesterday. Dixon had been a candidate there and at Wright State.

Dixon and Manhattan Coach Bobby Gonzalez are the only other coaches to meet with Pitt officials during the coaching search.