Marquette associate head coach Tony Benford was at SMU Saturday interviewing for the head coaching vacancy and former NBA and college coach Larry Brown will interview Sunday, according to sources and The Dallas Morning News.
“I’d like to coach or be involved in basketball in some capacity,” Brown told NBA TV on Saturday. “I feel like I have something to offer. I certainly would be interested in SMU.”
Benford interviewed for the job — created by the firing of Matt Doherty — for the first time during the Final four in New Orleans, sources said.
With SMU set to join the Big East in 2013, the possibility of the legendary Brown joining the league is interesting to say the least.
The Big East will lose Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh after next season, but Brown could potentially join Jim Calhoun of UConn, Rick Pitino of Louisville, Mike Brey of Notre Dame, Buzz Williams of Marquette, Steve Lavin of St. John’s and John Thompson III of Georgetown among the league’s big-name coaches.
Brown, 71, is the only coach to win an NCAA title (Kansas in 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit Pistons in 2004). He hasn’t coached since leaving the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010-11.
Kansas coach Bill Self said at the Final Four that Brown was “unemployed” and appeared anxious to get back in the mix.
“He’s unemployed,” Self said. “He’s got to be around ball. He spends time at Villanova, Maryland, Kentucky.
“He’s been out to our place three or four weeks. Comes to practice, watches. Doesn’t come to all practices, but he’ll sit around in a film session with us, that kind of stuff.
“It’s just kind of cool to have him around. I think the players like seeing him, too. I think the players, that respect factor is always there when Coach Brown is around, as well.”
