Athletic director Rick Hart and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball coach John Shulman talked openly about Shulman’s interview at Texas Christian University on Tuesday.
“We have a good relationship, and we’re just talking things through and helping each other evaluate the situation,” Hart said. “I’d rather not get into specifics, but they’ve been good talks.”
Among other duties, Hart also had a Thursday meeting with architects to discuss remodeling plans for McKenzie Arena.
“All I can do is focus on the things I can control,” Hart said. “Were something to happen in any sport, we’d be prepared. (But) I’m not sitting here with a list in my pocket.”
Shulman is among a handful of coaches who have interviewed or spoken with TCU. The short list includes Scott Sutton of Oral Roberts and former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson, now an executive with the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, according to reports in Fort Worth and Tulsa newspapers.
TCU athletic director Danny Morrison has enlisted the help of the Eastman & Beaudine search firm, but he’s known Shulman for about 20 years.
Morrison was the athletic director and then senior vice president at Wofford when Shulman was an assistant coach for current Wofford athletic director Richard Johnson. They’ve all kept in close contact through the years.
“There’s a lot to be said about knowing the guy you hire,” Johnson said. “One of the things Danny values over anything is work ethic. If you know John, that’s a good description of John.”
Morrison declined comment through spokesman Mark Cohen, who also worked for Morrison at Wofford and is a friend of Shulman.
“This search is a priority for him right now,” Cohen said while standing at spring football practice, not far from alumnus LaDainian Tomlinson. “Danny has been putting in his typical 20-hour days.
“He’s been very pleased and excited to see the interest there is in this position.”
Former TCU coach Neil Dougherty made $378,227 in compensation and $97,029 in employee benefits, according to the student paper, the TCU Daily Skiff. This year’s Horned Frogs went 14-16 overall and 6-10 in the Mountain West Conference and lost in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament.
Shulman earns a base salary of $110,000 with and additional $15,000 as broadcast pay. The Mocs went 18-13, 13-7 in the Southern Conference, and lost in the quarterfinals of its tournament.
Shulman also declined comment but released a statement Thursday.
“I am very happy in Chattanooga. I love the school. I love my job. I love our kids. I love our city,” it read. “If Danny Morrison calls and wants to talk, out of respect to him, I am going to talk.”
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
Or login with:
New Account