Weber Interviewed

Though Chancellor Cheng would neither confirm nor deny that SUIC is interviewing recently fired U of I coach (and former SIUC coach) Bruce Weber, both the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the Southern Illinoisan say he has been offered the basketball coaching position here.  Whether he is willing to take the pay cut to come back here is another question.  His contract called for about $1.3 million per year at U of I, while Chuck Lowrey made "only" about $750,000 at SIUC.  Chancellor Cheng indicated on WSIU's Morning Conversation today that the next coach would receive significantly less than Lowrey's contract.

Given that some locals are still pushing for a renegotiation of the city's tax agreement with the University for the Arena remodel and the university still pleading financial straits in its last negotiation over faculty and staff salaries, I can't see the next coach getting anywhere near Lowrey's level of compensation without stirring up that kettle of fish again.

Weber In?

Apparently rumors are floating about that U of I may release Bruce Weber after the end of the season and that, if so, SIUC may recruit him to take over the basketball program here.

Whoever is hired, they won't get anything like the money that Lowrey received, given that attendance at basketball games has dropped over 50% since the high of 7743 back in 2007, indicating that Saluki fans are comparatively fickle, willing to come out in support of the team when it does well but abandoning it in droves after 4 losing seasons.