In the hours after it was announced that assistant coach Kenya Hunter was leaving Nebraska for a similar position at UConn, Husker men's basketball coach Tim Miles wasn't wasting any time in starting the search for Hunter's replacement.
"The 402 is blowing up," Miles said Monday night, referring to Lincoln's area code. "We don't lack for popularity, that's for sure, which is exciting. And I know we'll get a proven person in here that's well-connected and can coach just like Kenya could."
A 22-11 record, even with Nebraska's disappointing finish, certainly hasn't seemed to dampen interest in working for the program. Miles said he keeps two lists handy when an assistant of his moves on — one of people, and one of "people who know people."
"It's like your candidates, then your veteran guys who know the younger guys," Miles said. "I just start by lobbing some texts out there; I might get some information on who might be interested, and just go from there. And I know Bill (Moos, Nebraska director of athletics) and Marc (Boehm) are going to be most accommodating as we work toward a replacement."
People are also reading…
Speaking of Moos, Miles said he expected "something to come out shortly" in regards to the contract extension he and Moos have been discussing in the weeks since the season ended.Â
Miles declined to go into specifics, saying any announcement would come from Moos.
With stability at the top, Miles said he expects the rest of his staff to stay intact. Michael Lewis, who just completed his second season at NU, and Jim Molinari, who just completed his fourth year, are set to hit the road to recruit when the current dead period ends Thursday.
Among the stops Nebraska's staff will make are with current signees Xavier Johnson, Karrington Davis and Brady Heiman. Hunter was the lead recruiter on both Johnson and Davis, and played a large role in bringing several current Huskers to Lincoln.
Miles also said he feels good about the stability of Nebraska's current roster as the semester begins to wind down.
"I feel solid about where we are with our recruiting class and our players, but you never know," Miles said. "As things kind of settle in, I know we will be out there to Karrington and Xavier and Brady, just to make sure they're clear on what we're trying to do with our staff."
Miles said he wasn't totally surprised to see Hunter move on after having a "really good heart-to-heart" after Nebraska's NIT loss. An assistant for his entire 20-year coaching career, Hunter wants to be a head coach. And there simply weren't many opportunities for Hunter to move up if he stayed in the Midwest.
"Kenya was terrific for us, and I love him like I do a brother," Miles said. "He's just worked his butt off for us. But at the same time, he's got to look out for himself, and I think this was a situation that made sense."