Spurning Arizona State, Majerus to Stay in Utah

Utah’s Rick Majerus ended a month of speculation Thursday about where he would coach next season. He said he will stay at Utah.

Majerus, who took his Runnin’ Utes to the NCAA title game Monday before losing in the last five minutes to Kentucky, admitted he had received an offer to coach at Arizona State, but said that he did not want to leave his situation in Salt Lake City.

“You have to look at options, to listen to offers,” he said. “But eventually, you look at your own happiness, and the happiness of your players, and that’s how you decide.”

When responding to a question Thursday by ESPN’s Chris Myers on a live “Up Close” interview about how he could turn down an offer from a larger school in the larger Pacific 10 Conference, Majerus said, “You can’t get much bigger than the Final Four.”

Majerus also said that his star point guard, Andre Miller, of Compton and Verbum Dei High, had decided, at least for the moment, to use his final year of eligibility at Utah, rather than turn pro.

“Sure, we’ll have to take a look at the money,” Majerus said. “But at the moment--especially with the possibility of an NBA lockout--he is probably going to stay.”

Miller had said after Monday’s title game that he was planning to stay at Utah.

Next season will be Majerus’ 10th as Utah’s coach.