By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Newport native Dave Cowens, an NBA Hall of Famer and former NBA coach, has approached Northern Kentucky University about its men's basketball coaching opening.

Should Cowens get the job, it seemingly would enhance the university's chances of securing funding for an on-campus arena and perhaps one day making the jump to Division I.

"He does have interest in the job," said local fitness guru Dave Guidugli, a close friend of Cowens. "It could be the least-pressure job he's ever had, and he could get the kind of character kids he wants.

"He would be a good fit from the (perspective) that he's probably the best player ever to come out of Kentucky, it would help them from a recruiting standpoint and it could help them go Division I and fill up that (proposed) arena."

Cowens, 55, was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 after being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990. He compiled a 188-232 record in coaching stints with three NBA teams.

Cowens, who has a home in Batavia, is visiting his daughter Meghan in Florida and did not return messages left there.

NKU is accepting applications to replace Ken Shields, who is retiring at season's end. Shields is 306-169 in 16 years at NKU and took his team to the NCAA Division II championship game in 1996 and '97.

NKU officials declined comment on individual applicants.

Athletic director Jane Meier will head a committee that she said would begin interviews at the end of the month, hoping to hire someone by mid-April.

Said NKU President James Votruba: "We see this as a very attractive position, particularly with the possibility of a new arena to play in. Ken has taken the program to the top quartile of Division II, funding has doubled since I arrived (six years ago) and we play in a top-30 media market."

Gov. Ernie Fletcher has included $42 million in the state's budget for an arena that would seat up to 10,000, but the budget has not been approved by the Kentucky General Assembly. Cowens' name recognition surely wouldn't hurt.

"He's the guy who could get you national exposure - USA Today, ESPN - that you're normally not going to get," Guidugli said.

Cowens made the initial contact with NKU about its opening. He has been out of coaching since being fired by Golden State in December 2001, having gone 25-80 there.

He previously coached the Boston Celtics for 68 games (27-41) as a player-coach during the 1978-79 season, then led the Charlotte Hornets to consecutive 50-win seasons from 1996-98. He resigned in Charlotte 15 games into the 1998-99 season and had a 136-111 mark there.

Cowens played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons with the Celtics, who have retired his No. 18. He was the league MVP in 1973 and won two championships.

Cowens began his playing career at Newport Catholic, then helped a probation-riddled Florida State program gain prominence. An undersized center (6 feet 9, 230 pounds) who developed a blue-collar reputation, he averaged 17.6 points and 13.6 rebounds in his NBA career.

Before Cowens' name arose, the NKU job appeared destined to be Dave Bezold's. Bezold, 38, is Shields' only full-time assistant and has been with him 14 years.

Shields has lobbied for Bezold to succeed him.

Bezold, a Holy Cross High School grad who played college ball at Viterbo (Wis.) College, does the majority of NKU's recruiting and handles the team's defensive schemes. When Shields had back surgery in January 2001, Bezold filled in as head coach and went 3-2, losing road games at Southern Indiana and St. Joseph's (Ind.).

This could be his final weekend for Shields as coach of the Norse. NKU (16-14) begins play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament against Southern Indiana (22-5) at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Evansville, Ind.

Pat Crowley contributed to this report. E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com