Is Tom Pecora the next coach at Fordham University?
Pecora says no, but other sources say yes.
“My phone has been ringing constantly with people congratulating me on getting the Fordham job,” Pecora told Sean Brennan of the Daily News Tuesday evening. “That’s pretty funny because I haven’t even been contacted by Fordham yet. I don’t know where these things get started but nothing yet. But I’ll let you know if I hear from them.”
A source in the Fordham athletic department said the process still had to play out over the next couple of weeks, including interviews.
“There’s nothing done on this end,” the source said Tuesday. “As far as I know we haven’t spoken with anyone yet [except interim coach Jared Grasso].”
A subcommittee of Fordham’s Board of Trustees held a meeting Tuesday and the source said the school planned to “move forward with interviews later this week or early next week.”
“The plan is to have a hire in 10-14 days,” the source added.
Despite these claims, two sources close to the Fordham basketball program said Pecora-to-Fordham was close to done.
“I’d be shocked if it’s not official shortly,” one source close to the program said.
That same source said Grasso had not yet been officially informed of Pecora’s imminent hire, but sources close to him told him “it was done.”
Still another Fordham source also said it was done.
“It’s 100 percent done,” the source said.
The Board’s subcommitte met Tuesday and was said to be considering Pecora, Robert Morris coach Mike Rice and Cornell coach Steve Donahue.
Rice is set to interview Wednesday with Seton Hall and Donahue has his team in the Sweet 16 Thursday against Kentucky.Grasso has secured several verbal commitments and those players could opt not to come if Grasso is not kept on. Asked if he would still stay with Fordham without Grasso, Paterson Catholic senior guard Jayon James wrote in a text, “Most likely not.” If Pecora lands at Fordham, he would be out of the mix at St. John’s, which is courting Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. (Photo courtesy Hofstra Athletics) Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
