Dr. in the house?

Steve Addy

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001 | 11:09 a.m.

One way or another, the future of the Rebels' basketball program rests in Rick Pitino's hands.

If he wants the coaching job, Pitino will get it, regardless if a formal offer has not yet been made.

If he doesn't want it, and especially if he doesn't decide soon after the season, UNLV will be sent scrambling to a backup plan, which has been sketched out, insiders say.

But the administration's Plan B might not match the boosters' wish list, and that could create a power struggle that hinders UNLV's ability to hire a coach who can invigorate the program.

Remember, it was Rebels boosters such as Steve Wynn who got things rolling with Pitino, not UNLV president Carol Harter and AD Charlie Cavagnaro. They're just the ones trying to close the deal.

If they are unable to land Pitino, accusations will surely fly from all sides -- boosters, fans and media -- but the Rebels will still be without a coach, and time will be slipping away. UNLV would have to act quickly to exploit the attention gained by its flirtation with Pitino.

After all, Dick Vitale and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski have called UNLV "a sleeping giant," but they never said that until Pitino got interested. The school can't afford to waste that kind of endorsement, even if Pitino says no.

Sun discussions with UNLV sources and boosters reveal a varying cast of candidates if Pitino doesn't take the job. The boosters have their list, but it doesn't necessarily mean the university will go along, especially if there is fallout from a failed Pitino courtship.

Meanwhile, other names are popping up as rumored candidates -- not so coincidentally, once it was reported that Pitino could get $2 million a year. But the opportunists aren't on either group's list.

As the Pitino watch heads into the homestretch, here's a look at coaches who are known to be candidates, others who might be, and some who never were.

The Favorite

That kind of talk has some boosters worried, because they thought it was a done deal until the baton was passed to Harter and Cavagnaro. Now, they're not sure.

The optimists say Pitino simmered down only so he wouldn't look bad for chasing Max Good out of the coach's job. They say Pitino is only biding his time until the season is over, then he will sign with UNLV and use his CBS-TV gig in the NCAA tournament to wink at potential recruits.

But some boosters are fearful that Pitino is only using UNLV to do his negotiating for him. Because he has pursued the Rebels' job, the financial bar has now been set at $2 million, and if Michigan, Louisville or others plan to make a bid, they know where to begin.

This much we know: If Pitino doesn't come, a lot of UNLV diehards and boosters are going to be seriously dispirited, no matter who the school hires.

The Contenders

The Possibilities

No Chance