TCU men’s basketball coach Jim Christian denied reports Sunday evening that he had been hired by Ohio University, but a source at TCU said his departure is likely imminent.
Christian, who just completed his fourth season at TCU, said he talked with Ohio representatives about their head coach vacancy while in New Orleans for the Final Four, but said “there has been no offer made and no acceptance.”
Calls to TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte were not returned Sunday evening. CBSSports.com reported that Ohio had hired Christian Sunday, citing unnamed sources. The report said the formal announcement would come Tuesday.
Although Christian, who was back home in Fort Worth Sunday evening, denies the report, his departure from TCU is probably coming today, according to a source at TCU. Christian still needs to work out the details of his new contract, and inform his TCU players of the move, according to the source.
Christian coached for six years at Kent State before taking the TCU job in March 2008. His wife is from Ohio and still has a lot of family in the state.He is 56-73 in four seasons at TCU. He led the Horned Frogs to their first winning season and first postseason berth since 2005 last month. TCU lost in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational. Christian would replace John Groce at Ohio, which reached the Sweet 16. Groce was hired at Illinois earlier this week.According to CBSSports.com, Christian will earn approximately the same salary as he did at TCU, which was about $590,000.
Christian was a candidate for the opening at his alma mater Rhode Island last month before Danny Hurley was named the coach.
-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs
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