Seton Hall Assistant Coach Interviewed for Irvine Job

Rod Baker, a Seton Hall assistant coach, interviewed for the UC Irvine men’s basketball coaching job before heading home after Seton Hall’s NCAA tournament loss in Seattle, a New Jersey source said Tuesday.

Baker, who earlier said he applied for the job, is one of about a dozen candidates who have talked with Irvine. He met with school officials Sunday and Monday before returning to the East Coast after the Pirates’ loss to Nevada Las Vegas in the West Regional final Saturday.

Baker has been an assistant to Seton Hall Coach P.J. Carlesimo since 1988, when Baker resigned as head coach at Tufts University, a Division III school in Medford, Mass., where Baker’s teams compiled a 72-52 record in five seasons. Baker was a finalist for the coaching job this year at St. Mary’s, which recently hired Stanford assistant Ernie Kent. He also reportedly was the first choice for the head coaching job at Columbia University last year, but turned down the school’s offer.

Irvine Athletic Director Tom Ford has said Irvine is seeking to name a coach by Monday, and indications are that an announcement could come within the week.

Among other coaches who either have met with Irvine or have been formally interviewed are Irvine assistant Ernie Carr, Arizona assistant Jessie Evans, former UCLA coach Walt Hazzard, Notre Dame assistant Matt Kilcullen, Mater Dei High School Coach Gary McKnight, Ventura College Coach Phil Mathews, Villanova assistant John Olive, Washington State Coach Kelvin Sampson and Purdue assistant Bruce Weber.

Sampson, in the process of renegotiating his contract at Washington State, has said he is no longer involved with the Irvine job, and that he met with Ford out of respect and friendship.

Two other coaches, Irvine assistant Mike Bokosky and Princeton assistant Jan van Breda Kolff, are believed to have met with Irvine about the job, although neither coach would confirm that. Van Breda Kolff is the son of former Laker coach Butch van Breda Kolff, currently head coach at Hofstra.