The Associated Press

DAYTON - Ohio State associate head coach Paul Biancardi was named head coach at Wright State on Friday.

Wright State athletics director Mike Cusack had narrowed his choice to Biancardi and Jamie Dixon, associate head coach at Pittsburgh.

"Both of them have worked under outstanding coaches," Cusack said. "One tipping point might be (Biancardi's) connections and recruiting in the state of Ohio."

He said Biancardi would be given a five-year contract but would not disclose the terms. He said Biancardi was in New Orleans for the NCAA Tournament and would come to Wright State on Tuesday for a news conference.

Biancardi will replace Ed Schilling, who was fired earlier this month after posting a 75-93 record over six years.

Wright State, a Division I school that plays in the Horizon League, finished 10-18 this season.

Biancardi, 40, is Ohio State's recruiting coordinator. He has served as coach Jim O'Brien's assistant for 13 years - seven seasons at Boston College and six at Ohio State.

"His coaching experience at two outstanding institutions and working under one of the most respected coaches in the country made him a front runner," Cusack said.

Besides recruiting, Biancardi was responsible for planning practices, developing game-plan strategies and developing the skills of front-court players.

O'Brien said he has "mixed emotions" about losing Biancardi.

"On one hand, I am thrilled with the opportunity afforded to Paul - one he has worked very hard for and one he so richly deserves," he said. "On the other hand, I am saddened with the departure of someone who has been so loyal and who has worked so hard toward the success of our programs both here at Ohio State and at Boston College."

Prior to Boston College, Biancardi was an assistant coach at Boston University, Suffolk University and Salem State. He is a 1985 graduate of Salem State with a degree in physical education.MISSOURI: Coach Quin Snyder and assistant Lane Odom were temporarily banned by the athletic department from recruiting because they violated NCAA rules on calling recruits.

The school told the NCAA last month that on five occasions Odom violated a rule that limits coaches to calling a recruit once a week, sports information director Chad Moller said. The calls were made between January and April 2002. The school suspended Odom from recruiting for five weeks. Snyder was suspended for three weeks, Moller said.

Missouri told the NCAA it discovered the violations on Jan. 30, six days after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asked to inspect the coaches' phone records.

In a letter to the NCAA, Missouri faculty athletics representative Carl Settergren noted Snyder's "lack of oversight to ensure appropriate record keeping for the men's basketball logs."

Records obtained by the Post-Dispatch showed that Odom made more than 50 calls to Clemons in the three months before Clemons committed to the school. Settergren explained that Odom had been a longtime mentor to Clemons, and therefore did not record them on the recruitment logs.