NC State coaching search

This coaching search has been one of the most entertaining things I have ever seen. There's more drama than a soap opera! I've been following the latest information on the internet, on NC State blogs (statefansnation.com) and message boards (packpride.com), and it is hysterical what some people are doing to get the inside scoop. (I know most people who read this blog, all 6 or so of them, don't care too much about this, but I writing this mainly for posterity)

The target of the search is Memphis coach John Calipari. I very much hope that he is hired, and there are a lot of other State fans that want the same thing. One important thing to remember is that coaching searches are done very "under the table" - everthing is supposed to be kept secret util the official announcemnet. But of course you always have leaks of information from "sources", much of which is conflicting. You have to sort out what is true, what is not, and what might be true.

It all started on Saturday when it was confirmed that Rick Barnes of Texas turned down the job and it was clear Cal was the focus of the search. Actually, it started a little before that, when supposedly Cal said he was interested in the job, and had made contact with people at State. It was rumored that some people from NC State were going to go to Memphis to "interview" Cal. This sounded strange because you don't interview a coach of his stature for this type of job. Anyway, on Sunday morning someone found via the internet (flightaware.com) that a plane belonging to Murphy Family Farms (the CEO Wendell Murphy is a big contributor to the athletics program) took off from Duplin County airport (where Murphy lives), landed at RDU, and flew on to Memphis. Using this website, you can track the flight of a plane by the minute. It spent three hours in Memphis, then took off for RDU again. Speculation about who was on the plane was rampant. Was Cal going to be on the return flight? The news media must have been reading the message boards to get the scoop, and they were there waiting when the plane landed, much to the shock of it's passengers - including the athletics director (Lee Fowler) and chancellor of NC State. Soon after that it was leaked that they had offered him a contract, and the ball was in his court. Then the story was leaked that Memphis presented a counter-offer to him. Then on Monday it was rumored that he would be coming to Raleigh with his staff to tour the facilities. This also seemed strange because it is not typically done unless you are taking the job. Anyway, all day Monday the rabid State fans were trying to figure out which plane from Memphis to RDU he could be on. Then came a story from a Memphis news source that Cal wasn't going to Raleigh. Then comes another story from another Memphis news source that he is in fact going to Raleigh tonight or tormorrow. Meanwhile it was found that there was a flight going from Memphis to the Chapel Hill airport. How many planes fly from Memphis to Chapel Hill in a day? Probably not many, Plus, this plane originated from Aberdeen NC, and belonged to a private charter company. It was also a larger jet than typically flies into Chapel Hill's dinky little airport. Did Lee Fowler learn his lesson and try to throw everyone off the scent by hiring a private jet to pick up Cal and take him to Chapel Hill? Well, by tracking the plane on the internet, it apparently did not land at Chapel Hill as the flight plan said, but at RDU! A last mintue diversion! Could this be the plane carrying John Calipari to Raleigh for his press conference tomorrow to announce him as the next coach of NC State?

9:16 pm 4/10 - And just before I post this, there is now an ESPN story saying that he did is currently visiting the facilities ("according to sources close to Calipari"). And according to the web cam at the RBC Center, the lights in the building (which had been off most of the day) are now ON! And someone called security at the RBC Center to ask if Cal had been there, and the guy said he was told to clear all media from the parking lots!

10:45 pm - RBC Center webcam sis showing someone driving the zamboni around the ice. Maybe Cal wanted to go for a spin.

10:58 pm - Some State fans went to the RBC Center, and said that the security guards there were more edgy than usual, so something must be going on.

6:15 pm 4/11 - Things are not looking good. There as been no new information today, and it is assumed that Cal is meeting with Memphis people to work out a new contract. All the State fans on the message boards are very nervous.

7:39 pm - A Memphis news channel reported that Cal met with the team for 20 minutes. Supposedly it was to tell them he was staying, but that's not confirmed.

7:59 pm - Several other media outlest are reporting the same thing - that he will be staying at Memphis. Everybody on the State message boards is giving up hope. I won't believe it until there is something official.

4/13 - Okay, it's official - John Calipari is a jerk who was only looking for a raise from Memphis. The top candidates at this time appear to be Frank Haith from Miami, Billy Gillespie from Texas A&M, and Gregg Marshall from Winthrop. I think all three would be pretty good, but I'm hoping for Haith.