Texas opening has some Wichita State officials wary

In recent years, one potential basketball job opening elicited more fear than any other in the Wichita State athletic department and administration.

That job opened on Saturday when Texas fired Rick Barnes, according to numerous reports. WSU survived many overtures for coach Gregg Marshall, from many prominent schools, as his credentials grew. None offered the combination of resources, prestige, access to talent, location and winning tradition that Texas does, should it attempt to lure Marshall away.

“That is the one,” several people close to the program said recently.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that Texas wanted to have a new coach within a week, citing sources. The newspaper listed Marshall and VCU’s Shaka Smart as likely candidates. Athletic director Steve Patterson worked in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, leading some to believe he may look to the pro ranks.

Marshall, 52, makes a base salary of $1.85 million, plus bonuses at WSU, an amount that will likely go to around $2 million soon. He is on a seven-year rollover contract with a buyout of $400,000 that drops to $300,000 on April 15.

Barnes, according to the Austin American-Statesman, made $2.55 million this season.

Marshall, according to Yahoo.com’s Pat Forde, told Alabama he is not interested in its opening and prefers to listen to Texas.

Marshall declined comment on the Texas job Saturday night.

Marshall has made it clear over the years that he is happy at Wichita State and his family loves the community and university. He has said he is not interested in taking on a rebuilding job. Texas won 20 or more games in all but two of Barnes’ 17 seasons and made the NCAA Tournament 16 times. The Longhorns went 20-14 this year and finished in a tie for sixth in the Big 12.

“I've said how content and happy I am at Wichita State over and over and over, and we are,” he said recently. “It could be the last job I ever have, I could retire from there. But at the same time I don't bury my head in the sand if a tremendous offer comes along, we look at it as a family and that's been something we've dealt with for 17 years.”

Texas, by most definitions, can make a tremendous offer. The wait is on.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 10:14 PM with the headline "Texas opening has some Wichita State officials wary."