Bennett won’t pursue the job at Indiana

Washington State’s Tony Bennett talked to Indiana about its vacant head-coaching job but decided not to pursue it.

“I had an exploratory conversation with Indiana, and I am not going to pursue the Indiana job,” Bennett told the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., for an article posted on the newspaper’s website Sunday.

Bennett told the Spokesman-Review that Indiana called Saturday evening to gauge his interest. He would not identify who called but said Indiana contacted Washington State Athletic Director Jim Sterk to ask permission to contact him.

Speculation linking Bennett to openings at Indiana and California had been floating even before the Cougars lost to North Carolina in the round of 16 on Thursday, prompting Sterk to issue a statement Saturday that he had not been contacted by any university for permission to talk to the Cougars’ coach.

The 38-year-old Bennett is 52-17 in his two years at Washington State, having guided the Cougars to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in school history.

Last year, Bennett signed a seven-year contract that pays about $700,000 per year.

The Cougars, who finished third in the Pacific 10 Conference and went 26-9 this season, lost, 68-47, to North Carolina in the NCAA tournament regional semifinals Thursday.

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Embattled New York Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas also said he is not a candidate for the Indiana job.

Thomas, whose Knicks have lost seven of eight and 14 of 16, has a 53-102 record in two seasons with the team.

Though he helped Indiana win the 1981 NCAA championship, Thomas has never coached in college.

He indicated the Hoosiers haven’t consulted him about becoming their head coach.

Thomas, also the Knicks’ team president, said he hopes interim Coach Dan Dakich is named the full-time coach at Indiana. Dakich took over after Kelvin Sampson resigned.