By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Xavier head coach Thad Matta. (Steven M. Herppich/file photo) | ZOOM |

Thad Matta is on the road recruiting for Xavier. But he knows that in every living room he visits, the families and players will be wondering and maybe asking about his interest in the University of Illinois.

Matta has yet to be contacted by Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther about the men's basketball coaching vacancy created when Bill Self took the Kansas job on Monday.

That detail probably doesn't matter to recruits who read newspaper reports that Matta is a leading candidate for the job, along with Oregon's Ernie Kent, Creighton's Dana Altman and Southern Illinois' Bruce Weber.

Marquette's Tom Crean was a top candidate, but accepted a contract extension from Marquette on Tuesday.

Because Matta, at 35, is an up-and-coming head coach with proven success at Butler and Xavier, recruits know that if it's not rumors about Illinois this year, it will be some other school next year.

"Sure, that question is asked," said Indianapolis North Central coach Doug Mitchell, who coaches A.J. Ratliff, a junior whom Xavier is recruiting. "Every kid wants to know if the coach is going to stay for four years. It's more of an issue with coaches at mid-major and high mid-major schools than the ones at major schools."

According to a Tuesday New York Times story, Matta was asked about staying at Xavier by the family of Shaun Pruitt, a junior at West Aurora (Ill.) High. "The answer they got was vague," the Times reported, quoting Pruitt's high school coach Gordon Kerkman.

"Actually, I'm not even sure Shaun's dad asked Thad that question about him staying at Xavier," Kerkman told the Enquirer Tuesday, contradicting the report in the Times "I was saying (to the Times) that some coaches are asked that question and dance around it, but I wasn't saying that about Thad Matta. I was just talking about coaches in general."

When told about the Times story on Tuesday, Matta said he was surprised because he said he doesn't recall specific recruits or their families asking how long he will be at Xavier. He said he tries to be as straightforward as possible when the issue comes up.

"It's different in each case," Matta said Tuesday. "When you're out recruiting, you're selling Xavier University. I want guys to come to Xavier for what Xavier stands for and because it's a great school."

But players want assurance that they'll play for the same coach for four years.

"In my case, I love where I'm coaching," Matta said. "But there are no guarantees for anybody. My family loves it here, and we've got a great thing going at Xavier."

Linking Matta to Illinois is natural. His grew up in Hoopeston, Ill., where his parents still live, 60 miles northeast of the university in Champaign, Ill. He played high school ball at Hoopeston-East Lynn High School.

Matta isn't commenting on the Illinois job, and said he has no reason to unless he is contacted by that university. Since Xavier's offseason began in late March, Matta's name has been mentioned with the University of Pittsburgh and Illinois jobs.

Matta says he's extremely happy at Xavier. But given the nature of college coaching, no recruit can be sure that he will have the same coach throughout his career.

"You tell the players that you want them to try to find the right university," Matta said. "Not so much the coach as the school, although the coach is a big part of it."

---

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com