Anderson moving to Arkansas?

[DJT]

Arkansas officials are expected to meet with Missouri coach Mike Anderson later Wednesday and, according to sources, a contract offer and Anderson's acceptance of it appear to be a formality.

Missouri athletic director Mike Alden was unavailable for comment early Wednesday but a Missouri official said there was no announcement planned from Columbia, Mo.

Wednesday, according to sources who expect him to take the vacant Arkansas job instead.

Earlier Wednesday, a source at Missouri said the school had expected Anderson to stay.

Anderson had wrestled with his decision the past few days, especially with the majority of the Tigers returning. Anderson had been negotiating a two-year extension that would raise his salary at Missouri to $2 million per season -- a $500,000 raise.

Anderson was Nolan Richardson's assistant and replaced him as interim coach at Arkansas to finish the 2001-02 season after Richardson was fired. Richardson filed a discrimination suit against the school in 2004 but the suit was dismissed, as was his appeal in 2006.

Richardson's fallout at Arkansas was with former athletic director Frank Broyles. New AD Jeff Long has reached out to Richardson and also honored the 1994 national title team.

Anderson played for Richardson at Tulsa and was an assistant at Arkansas when the Razorbacks won the title. Anderson and Richardson were in Tulsa Wednesday for the funeral of longtime Tulsa and Arkansas fan Jim Pharr.

"Mike told me it was 50-50 since he was still negotiating," Richardson said Wednesday morning by phone. "I'm happy for him. I support Mike and I will support him wherever he goes. He's like a son to me."

Stan Heath, who was at Kent State at the time, replaced Richardson, and then was fired before South Alabama's John Pelphrey replaced him for the 2007-08 season.

Long fired Pelphrey earlier this month despite a top-10 recruiting class.

"It's a new administration there, it's not the same people who were there when I was there or Mike," Richardson said.

Anderson has led Missouri to three NCAA appearances, including an Elite Eight berth in 2009. He also led UAB to three NCAA appearances when he was the coach there.

Senior writer Andy Katz covers men's college basketball for ESPN.com.

 

[The Young One]

*Books Ben Mclemore to KU*

Thanks CMA

 

[Brutalis]

Yeah it's a done deal.

 

[mutigers28]

Damn, I liked him. But hes a terrible recruiter so now we can get someone that actually can recruit hopefully...

 

[Brutalis]

Look at where he was recruiting to. He took them to 1 of their overall 3 Elite 8s in school history, that doesn't have much history at all. Nobody wants to play for Mizzou, that's a fact. B.J. Young wouldn't give them the time of day because of their facilities and the fact they have no appeal to kids and he was in the same state.

Mike Anderson has 17 years of history at Arkansas, the state loves him, and he gets to step back into the Memphis hot bed where he used to recruit so well. He gets to reunite with coaches and recruiting territories he did so well in back in the day. Arkansas has that appeal that Mizzou does not. He won't have any issues recruiting. Not to mention Nolan Richardson reportedly offering Mike his trails.

 

[Mooche]

Look at where he was recruiting to. He took them to 1 of their overall 3 Elite 8s in school history, that doesn't have much history at all. Nobody wants to play for Mizzou, that's a fact. B.J. Young wouldn't give them the time of day because of their facilities and the fact they have no appeal to kids and he was in the same state.

Mike Anderson has 17 years of history at Arkansas, the state loves him, and he gets to step back into the Memphis hot bed where he used to recruit so well. He gets to reunite with coaches and recruiting territories he did so well in back in the day. Arkansas has that appeal that Mizzou does not. He won't have any issues recruiting. Not to mention Nolan Richardson reportedly offering Mike his trails.

Great post man, and I hope for you guys, it turns out for a nice little pick-up!

 

[The Young One]

BJ Young wouldnt give them the time of day because MU didnt really give him the time of day. They have 2 scholarships...They offered those to Ben Mclemore and Otto Porter. Rumor is that BJ has attitude issues and is a qualifying risk. Hence why they didnt go after him that hard not too mention...MU has like 2-3 pgs on the team already.

 

[mutigers28]

Look at where he was recruiting to. He took them to 1 of their overall 3 Elite 8s in school history, that doesn't have much history at all. Nobody wants to play for Mizzou, that's a fact. B.J. Young wouldn't give them the time of day because of their facilities and the fact they have no appeal to kids and he was in the same state.

Mike Anderson has 17 years of history at Arkansas, the state loves him, and he gets to step back into the Memphis hot bed where he used to recruit so well. He gets to reunite with coaches and recruiting territories he did so well in back in the day. Arkansas has that appeal that Mizzou does not. He won't have any issues recruiting. Not to mention Nolan Richardson reportedly offering Mike his trails.

The facilities are great from what I've been in... (though I havent seen other schools facilities)

I want Shaka Smart but I'd assume he's staying at VCU...

 

[Brutalis]

Great post man, and I hope for you guys, it turns out for a nice little pick-up!

Well in 2 days on the job he has reconfirmed 3 of our 5 commits, maybe 4. Hopefully the other follows the same trend.

BJ Young wouldnt give them the time of day because MU didnt really give him the time of day. They have 2 scholarships...They offered those to Ben Mclemore and Otto Porter. Rumor is that BJ has attitude issues and is a qualifying risk. Hence why they didnt go after him that hard not too mention...MU has like 2-3 pgs on the team already.

Young said himself that Anderson recruited him to Mizzou and that he had an offer.

The facilities are great from what I've been in... (though I havent seen other schools facilities)

I want Shaka Smart but I'd assume he's staying at VCU...

What's this I am hearing about a Mizzou transfer? Or is a recruit changing his commit status to Arkansas and sitting out a year?

 

[mutigers28]

I haven't heard anything about a recruit committing to Arkansas, but I dont know...