Andy Katz: Hiring expected to be finalized Friday

[kaygee]

Updated: April 7, 2005, 10:10 AM ET
Hiring expected to be finalized Friday

By Andy Katz, ESPN.com


Wisconsin associate head coach Rob Jeter is expeced to become the head coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday, a source close to the search told ESPN.com Thursday morning.

Jeter, 35, was on campus Thursday to meet with the athletic director and president one last time to finalize his contract. Jeter was offered the job on Sunday and accepted but just needed to clarify a few contractual issues.

A news conference to formally introduce Jeter may not happen until the beginning of next week.

Jeter replaces Bruce Pearl, who left UWM for Tennessee two weeks ago after leading the Panthers to the Sweet 16. UWM, a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, went to Cleveland and beat No. 5 Alabama in the first round then No. 4 Boston College in the second round. The Panthers then lost to top-seeded Illinois in the Sweet 16 in Chicago. UWM won the Horizon League regular season and conference tournament.

UWM, which finished 26-6 overall, and 14-2 in the Horizon League, returns seven seniors next season.

Jeter was promoted to associate head coach at Wisconsin last July, and was instrumental in recruiting the current roster and helping bring the Badgers under Bo Ryan to the Elite Eight. Wisconsin lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the Syracuse regional final.

Jeter was an assistant at UWM under Ryan for two seasons prior to Pearl's arrival. He also was an assistant at Marquette and UW-Platteville, where he played for Ryan.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

[pnthr30]

This article just goes to show how accurate "sources" are........so far, "sources" have told us that
1. MD was offered the job late last week (Thursday);
2. Jeter was offered the job on Sunday;
3 Jeter was offered the job yesterday;
4. A press release would be announced yesterday;
5. Jeter is on campus again today;
6. Jack Bennett was actually a serious candidate;
7. No mention (by the media) of MD being on campus at all - followed by reports of people seeing him on campus for multiple days;
8. Buzz Peterson was actually in the running;
9. Dunlap was offered the position;
10. you get the idea........

Now, with that being said, I honestly think we are getting closer to the truth (and a new coach), but I am not gonna believe anything until it is finialized......simply to much speculation.

[uwmfan]

.....AND that Jeter was to be meeting with our "President....." What source around here would use that term? Not even the J/S...

[admin]

This is excellent for UWM. Before Pearl was hired rumors never would have included Doherty, just unknown random D3 coaches. We have arrived! ;D

[Hack]

That story is now on the front page of ESPN.com.

[pnthr30]

HackPanther said:

That story is now on the front page of ESPN.com.

Well, I am sold now, it is a done deal. That is unless, UWM suddenly hires ESPN's other choice - Buzz Peterson. haha

[lang]

I personally think Katz has been great to us. While his information sometimes looked like filler. At least in his mind we are important enough to write an article about and again a front page espn article for UWM

[Deleted]

Good luck on your hire guys. Hopefully this Jeter dude can keep up the success Pearl has begun. Hopefully the chemistry between the returning players and the coach is good. There's nothing like talented players and coaches who are not on the same page, a la Matt Doherty and his North Carolina class.