Douglass on San Jose State’s List

San Jose State officials are interested in UC Irvine basketball Coach Pat Douglass, San Jose Athletic Director Chuck Bell said Sunday.

Bell said he wants to talk to Douglass, Pacific’s Bob Thomason and Utah State’s Larry Eustachy, among others, about the vacant Spartan job.

“I’m very much committed to going out and recruiting the players we’re going to need here at Irvine right now,” Douglass said. “I’m very much looking forward to next year at Irvine, but if someone wants to call me, they can call me.”

San Jose finished 3-23 and was 1-13 in the Western Athletic Conference. Spartan Coach Stan Morrison, who was 72-172 in 10 seasons, announced his retirement last month.

Eustachy figures to be the front-runner, as Bell was Utah State’s athletic director until February. Eustachy, though, might have better offers. He is 98-52 in five years as the Aggies’ coach. Utah State is 25-7 this season and won the Big West Conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Douglass, who is under a five-year contract, won three NCAA Division II titles at Cal State Bakersfield before taking over the Anteaters this season. Irvine was 1-25 a year ago, but finished 9-18 and reached the Big West Conference tournament this season. It was the first losing season in Douglass’ 25 years as a coach, but the team exceeded expectations, even his.

“I have no comment right now,” Irvine Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said about San Jose State’s interest in Douglass. “We have made a strong commitment to Pat and he certainly has done everything expected.”

Guerrero said it is customary to grant permission to talk with a coach so as “not to jeopardize any perspective professional opportunities.”

The San Jose job might be appealing to Douglass, 47, who spent the last few years attempting to make the jump from Division II to Division I. The Spartans play in the WAC, a stronger conference. Douglass has ambitions of winning a Division I national title, according to close friends, something that would be difficult to achieve at Irvine.

Douglass had a record of 257-61 at Bakersfield, winning national titles in 1997, 1994 and 1993. He was 119-57 at Division II Eastern Montana before moving to Bakersfield.

Even with that success, landing a Division I job was difficult. He interviewed at UNLV and Long Beach State, among others, but Irvine was the first Division I school to offer him a job.

If Douglass, Thomason or Eustachy leave, it will add to an already volatile year for coaches in the conference, with possibly more changes to come.

New Mexico State Coach Neil McCarthy was fired in October just before the season and replaced with former Illinois Coach Lou Henson. Henson previously coached at New Mexico State. UC Santa Barbara Coach Jerry Pimm was re-assigned within the department two weeks ago.

Cal State Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking is in the last year of a three-year contract and the Titans finished the season 12-16.

Long Beach State Coach Wayne Morgan has come under increasing pressure after the 49ers underachieved the last two seasons. Indications are that Morgan, who has three years left on his contract, will get one more year to turn things around.