04/13/2001

By Tim MacMahon / The Dallas Morning News

The search for a men's basketball coach at North Texas will continue until at least Monday, athletic director Rick Villarreal said.

Alabama assistant Johnny Jones, 40, was going to be introduced as Vic Trilli's successor at a news conference today, a source said. Those plans, however, were canceled Thursday afternoon.

Villarreal said Wednesday night that he had selected a coach, but he did not want to release any further information until he received approval from UNT President Norval Pohl and the Board of Regents. On Thursday, Villarreal said he had not submitted his recommendation to Pohl, and the job was not offered to Jones.

"We've got to make sure everything's right," Villarreal said.

Jones said he has spoken with UNT representatives in the last couple of days, but that he had not been offered the job. He declined to comment on the subject of the conversation.

Villarreal, who was hired April 4, said at his introductory news conference that he wanted to make a hire within 10 days.

"It now makes sense to hold off until Monday," Villarreal said. "I just want to be real careful in everything we do.

"This is my initial hire. I don't want any surprises."

Villarreal said Jones, Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes and Arizona assistant Jay John are being considered.

The other finalist, Sam Houston State head coach Bob Marlin, withdrew from consideration Tuesday night, Villarreal said.

Jones spent the first 12 seasons of his coaching career at Louisiana State, his alma mater, under Dale Brown. The program is still on NCAA probation because of violations in the recruiting of Lester Earl.

"That's not what slows this down," Villarreal said. "If that was the case, I would not have brought him in. You can check with the NCAA and Johnny Jones has no sanctions."

Burle Pettit, vice chairman of the UNT Board of Regents, said the final decision will be made by Villarreal.

"It wouldn't be appropriate for a regent to override an athletic director on this," Pettit said. "Who's going to be held responsible? It's not going to be me or [Board of Regents chairman] Bobby Ray. It's going to be Rick."

Jones left LSU for the associate head coach position at Memphis before the 1997-98 season. After coach Tic Price resigned four games into the 1999-2000 season, Jones led Memphis to a 13-14 record as the interim head coach.

Jones spent last season as an assistant at Alabama.

Lopes and John said Thursday that they had not been contacted by UNT since their interviews.

"I sit and remain available," John said. "We'll see what happens."