In an effort to talk about something college basketball-related other than scandals in the summer, let's talk best current coaches. We'll attempt to order the top 25 current coaches in the nation. This is about the present and the future, not the distant past. What a guy did in the mid-90s doesn't matter near as much as the direction his program is currently headed. Past pedigree also matters, to an extent. For the perfect mix of past accomplishments with present achievement and a paved road for future success, look no further than the man atop the list.
Have to admit that this was a move on the coaching carousel that was not expected. Tony Bennett turned down opportunities at Indiana and Marquette last year to stay in Pullman, Wash.
He did that, despite knowing he was heading for a rebuilding year at Washington State. A year later, after his Cougars steadily improved and he showed once more why he is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks, Bennett chose to move across the country to take the Virginia head coaching job.
Andy Katz of ESPN.com is reporting that Washington State coach Tony Bennett has decided not to take the Indiana head coaching job after having a conversation with Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan.
"I thought about it, but I'm not going to pursue it," Bennett told Katz, adding that he wouldn't consider the vacant Cal job either.
A Fox Sports report on Saturday said Bennett had been offered the Indiana job. Bennett has said that he didn't receive a formal offer from Indiana, although most indications are that Bennett was, in fact, Indiana's first choice.
For Indiana, the other names that have been mentioned -- Xavier's Sean Miller, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings,Tennessee's Bruce Pearl -- may all take a back seat to former Golden State Warriors and Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, Katz reported.
And for Washington State, the fact that Bennett has said no to Indiana and Cal doesn't mean he'll be back. His wife is from Louisiana, and he might consider the vacant LSU job.
Reached Saturday morning in Pullman, Bennett told ESPN.com, "I haven't had one conversation with [Indiana] and so, no, I haven't been offered the job.''
Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk said Saturday morning that no school has asked for permission to talk to Bennett.
With college coaches you sometimes have to parse words, and it's possible that when Bennett says he hasn't had one conversation, what he means is that his agent has been the one doing the talking. But it's also possible that the Fox Sports report was premature. Either way, Katz reports that Indiana wants to have its new coach in place by Thursday, so don't expect a long, drawn-out search.
Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports is reporting that Indiana is wasting no time in its coaching search, calling Washington State coach Tony Bennett the day after his Cougars were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament and telling him the job is his if he wants it.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Bennett is expected to leave Washington State, and that he's also one of the top choices of the administration at Cal.
According to Goodman, Bennett is atop a list at Indiana that includes Xavier's Sean Miller, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl's name has also been mentioned in connection with the Indiana job.
Kelvin Sampson took a contract buyout during the season after the NCAA said he violated recruiting rules. Dan Dakich, who took over as interim head coach, has said he wants the job on a permanent basis but is apparently not seen by the Indiana administration as a strong candidate.
The question is whether any strong candidates will want the job. When Sampson was hired Indiana was seen as one of the most attractive jobs in the country, but with likely NCAA sanctions, does it make sense for a coach like Bennett, who has a good thing going at Washington State, to leave?
If he does, the financial compensation will likely be substantial. Although Bennett has the job security of a seven-year contract at Washington State, his $800,000 salary is paltry compared to what Indiana will be willing to pay if it thinks Bennett can deliver national championships on the court and compliance with NCAA rules off it.
College basketball coaches are a weird bunch. They are control freaks who are media savvy and live in an isolated world of hoopdom. But what if they weren't coaching? What would they do? Who would they be?
The blog CatsandBeer.com attempts to figure that out to hilarious results:
During his press conference today to promote tomorrow's NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, Washington State coach Tony Bennett was asked a question that he's no doubt heard a few times: Does it bug him when people describe his style as "boring"?
And he gave it just the right answer: "Call it what you want."
There are some coaches who would feel the need to answer a question like that by insisting, "No, my style is fundamentally sound, predicated on good defense and setting up good shots." But Bennett knows that his style works -- it does, in fact, have him in the Sweet 16 this year, which no one expected -- and that's all that matters.
Having said that, it's also not unreasonable to say that the Cougars' style is boring. Washington State ranks 336th out of the 341 teams in the country in pace. If you like fast-paced basketball, you certainly can call the Cougars boring. But there are no style points, and when they play North Carolina -- the fastest-paced team in the Tournament -- tomorrow night, the Cougars will gladly take a boring game that results in an upset.
In the East Regional, the forgotten team is Washington State. With UNC blowing away everyone and fans salivating over the Tennessee-Louisville game, the Cougars are right under the radar.
That happens. Carolina and the Vols are relatively close to Charlotte, the site of the games, with Louisville not tremendously far away. Pullman, WA may as well be on the other side of the planet.
Still, WSU coach Tony Bennettknows a bit about Charlotte. After a nice career as a player at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Bennett was drafted by the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.
"I don't think too many people will remember me and be pulling for the Cougs down there," said Bennett, whose fourth-seeded team plays No. 1 seed UNC in the NCAA Round of 16 on Thursday. "They'll be cheering for the Carolina blues."
Have to admit that this was a move on the 
Andy Katz of ESPN.com is 
Washington State coach 
College basketball coaches are a weird bunch. They are control freaks who are media savvy and live in an isolated world of hoopdom. But what if they weren't coaching? What would they do? Who would they be?
In the East Regional, the forgotten team is Washington State. With UNC blowing away everyone and fans salivating over the Tennessee-Louisville game, the Cougars are right under the radar. 
