Men’s basketball: Douglass mum on FSU job

Barry Faulkner

UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat Douglass had no interest

Friday in talking about rumors regarding who will replace Jerry Tarkanian

at Fresno State.

Identified earlier this month as a candidate to succeed Tarkanian, who

confirmed months of speculation Friday by announcing his retirement,

Douglass released a statement attempting to at least postpone discussion

of his future.

“I have no comment at this time on speculation surrounding the Fresno

State coaching position,” Douglass said following Tarkanian’s

announcement. “ ... This is the time to reflect on Jerry’s

accomplishments during his coaching career and not speculate on possible

replacements.”

Douglass, who has guided UCI to at least a share of its first two Big

West Conference titles, as well as the program’s first consecutive 20-win

seasons, completed his fifth season at the helm with a 78-55 loss at BYU

Thursday in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. UCI

(21-11 this year) has won an unprecedented 60 games the last three

seasons.

Douglass, who signed a four-year contract extention last spring to

remain at UCI through the 2007-08 season, said two weeks ago he was

unaware of the source of speculation linking him to Fresno State. Prior

to coaching at UCI, he won three NCAA Division II championships in 10

seasons at Cal State Bakersfield. He has a .708 winning percentage in 21

seasons as a college head coach, including six seasons at Eastern

Montana.

Ironically, similar rumors have surrounded BYU Coach Steve Cleveland,

a former Fresno City College player and coach who finished his collegiate

playing career at UCI.

Cleveland, in his fifth season at BYU, was less evasive when asked,

after Thursday’s game, if he expected to hear from Fresno State about the

coaching job.

“I suspect there will be conversations at some time,” Cleveland said.

“But, out of respect to Jerry and his staff, I’m going to focus on BYU

right now (which meets Memphis Monday in the NIT second round). It’s

going to be interesting to see how (the FSU search) all works out.”