Missouri fans, this isn't the type of story you want out there on the eve of Saturday's Border War.
The Kansas City Star and Columbia Daily Tribune both ran stories saying Mizzou coach Mike Anderson is sidestepping speculation about the head coaching job at Arkansas. Uh, that job isn't open (even though Razorbacks coach John Pelphrey's seat is definitely hot). So how did Anderson sidestep the question?
"I'm here," Anderson told reporters on Thursday. "We're talking about Kansas. We're getting ready for Kansas. We've got a big game coming up. That's what we're getting ready for. That's what I want to talk about. We've got a big game coming up."
What exactly did they want him to say while he's preparing for the No. 2 team in the nation? Hell, yes, I'm interested. I've sent my resume, and if they call me at halftime, I'll be in Fayetteville by Saturday night saying, "Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!"
If Anderson is interested, he's not going to say. Not now. Not with the Jayhawks ... in Columbia ... on national TV. Not with the Big 12 Tournament just days away. Not with a 22-7 record and an NCAA Tournament bid. And not with Pelphrey still employed (because you don't do that to someone in your fraternity).
But the rumors are out there. ESPN's Doug Gottlieb told WHB 810 this week that the Hogs would likely fire Pelphrey and make a play for Anderson. And they probably will, given Anderson's roots there. But you're not going to get an answer from Anderson with the toughest game of the season just two days away.
It's hard to fault the reporters for asking, given Anderson's flirtations with Georgia and Oregon in the last two years. Sniffing around doesn't exactly show commitment. Mizzou blog Rock M Nation offers a fair bit of advice for Anderson, though:
I do have some advice for him, however: be very careful here. Fair or not -- and I think it would actually be somewhat fair -- interviewing with another school for a third consecutive year will result in you losing a portion of the Mizzou fanbase. You should very much realize that in advance.I doubt beating KU would make this talk go away. Actually, it'd make it heat up.
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Actually, he wasn't focused on winning a national title--he was focused on the fact that he had just lost a national title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Consider that quote in context. At the time the question was asked - he probably didn't. He was focusing on winning a National title. Had nothing to do with anything beyond that.
I think he has the right to look at any job. I doubt if he is going to lose a fair portion of the fan base if he does.
As far as what he can say, he cannot say anything since the job is not even open.
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