http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/college/college_basketball/article/VCUB29_20090328-223033/243524/
Norwood Teague interviewed one assistant coach in Austin, Texas, yesterday morning. He was scheduled to interview another in Gainesville, Fla., last night.
Virginia Commonwealth University's athletic director is moving with all the speed that jets can carry him in his search to find a coach to replace Anthony Grant.
Grant has accepted Alabama's invitation to become its coach. He will be introduced as the Crimson Tide's first African-American men's basketball coach at a press conference tonight at Alabama.
Teague, meanwhile, isn't standing still. He hopes to be introducing his own coach by Thursday.
"I think it's important to get someone in place to provide our players with leadership and who can begin recruiting our next class as soon as possible," he said.
He knows this hire will be important to keep the momentum the Rams have built the past eight years under Mack McCarthy, Jeff Capel and Grant. VCU is 176-77 during that period, with three trips to the NCAA tournament and two to the NIT.
"It's tremendously important," Teague said of the hire. "It's certainly not something that worries me. We have a job that is extremely attractive to many coaches around the country."
Since Grant's departure was announced Friday night, Teague estimated he had almost 100 inquiries through third parties.
Teague said he's looking for "someone who is a relentless recruiter. Someone who can communicate with the players. Someone of high character. And someone who will represent the university in an impeccable fashion."
"We just want a great coach," he said.
Among those Teague will or may consider are three assistant coaches --VCU's Tony Pujol, Texas' Russell Springmann and Florida's Shaka Smart -- and two head coaches -- Auburn's Jeff Lebo and Navy's Billy Lange.
All of the assistants are considered to be head-coaches-in-waiting. Pujol, who has been instrumental in the Rams' success and recruiting, will be given strong consideration. Springmann helped recruit Kevin Durant and other McDonald's All-Americans.
Teague talked with Springmann in Texas yesterday.
"To say my discussion with him was extremely impressive is an understatement," he said. "I'll leave it at that."
He was scheduled to talk to Smart in Florida last night.
Teague already is familiar with Springmann and Smart through the Villa 7 Consortium, which was created by VCU to facilitate meetings between mid-major athletic directors and up-and-coming assistant coaches.
Lebo and Teague are North Carolina grads, but Lebo -- if he's even interested -- comes with a huge hurdle: a mutual buyout clause with Auburn, according to the Mobile Press-Register. Lebo could owe $1.5 million -- $375,000 for each of the four years remaining on his contract.
He is 81-76 at Auburn but is coming off his best season, 24-12 and a spot in the NIT. Lebo was 115-63 in six years at Tennessee-Chattanooga and Tennessee Tech.
Assuming nobody leaves, the new coach will inherit a good team.
The Rams lose one senior, Eric Maynor. They have one high school recruit, Ben Eblen, a top-rated point guard out of Florida, and two transfers -- Jay Gavin and Jamie Skeen -- who will become eligible.
Teague said he has met with VCU's players once and probably will do so again today.
"They're anxious to find out what's happening," he said.
Contact Tim Pearrell at (804) 649-6965 or tpearrell@timesdispatch.com.