holton to portland

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

UCLA's Holton To Portland?
Who Will Replace Him?--(Apr. 3, 2001)

Today's edition of the Portland Oregonian carried an article stating that UCLA Assistant Coach Michael Holton, will be announced later today as the new head coach of the University of Portland. Holton has been the recruiting coordinator for the Bruins basketball team for the last 5 years under head coach Steve Lavin. Rob Chavez, the current UP coach was informed in February that his contract would not be renewed for next season. News of Chavez' demise set off a frenzy among assistant coaches and formerly employed head and assistant coaches for the job, but the Oregonian writes that Holton is now the odds-on favorite for the job.

Holton previously served as an assistant under Chavez. According to sources at the University, Holton is one of a few coaches who were on the short list of possible candidates to fill the job. Others included Rodney Tention, an assistant at the University of Arizona and Ray Lopes, currently an assistant at the University of Oklahoma, as well as and former Pilots and NBA player Darwin Cook, who himself was a former assistant at UNLV and Pepperdine. Cook left Pepperdine when Lorenzo Romar got the St. Louis job. Cook is also the father of former Chaminade player Casey Cook.

According to the Oregonian, Lopes reportedly dropped out of the running last weekend, and Tention and Cook were "told Monday by Portland athletic director Joe Etzel that they did not get the job."

Holton, 39, was an assistant at Oregon State for one year before joining the Bruins coaching staff. In 1994-95 he was a Portland assistant under Chavez. The Pilots were 21-8 that season, their most successful record in 37 years.

Cook was reportedly disappointed in losing the job. Here's what he said to the Oregonian:

"I felt good about my interview" said Cook, 42. "And I think I'm qualified more than any of the others."

If the Pilots choose Holton, "the hype of the UCLA name got him the job," Cook said. "Just like the fact that I had been out of coaching the past year and a half probably cost me the job."

Ouch. Well, congratulations are in order if Holton gets this job. Of course that begs the question of who will replace him at UCLA, and several names have been floating around lately, none as of yet with any real substance because of course, UCLA's athletic department won't comment until it's known for certain that Holton will be leaving. However, among the names being floated are Darren Kalish, currently the adidas representative with UCLA, who was a former full-time assistant at Oregon under Jerry Green and at LMU. Other names popping up include David Greenwood, a former UCLA and Verbum Dei player and former coach at Verb (although the latter is likely a definite longshot). Many other names are sure to surface if, as and when the announcement regarding Holton becomes final.