Five Remain Alive in Search for New Coach

The search for Columbia's new basketball coach is now in its final stages. Villanova assistant coach Joe Jones was on campus Monday, and Spectator has learned that his visit was for a second interview. Jones is one of several candidates to replace Armond Hill that have been asked back to campus for meetings this week.
Spectator has learned that similar interview sessions will be held over the next several days with Iona assistant Tony Chiles, former North Carolina assistant Bob MacKinnon, and possibly with New York Knicks Coaching Associate Michael Malone.

Although no second interview is currently planned with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a source said Monday that the NBA legend has not been eliminated from consideration.

According to a source, Jones not only met with members of the search committee yesterday afternoon, but also spent time with current players and talked with the members of the university community with whom he would work as the new head coach. Such officials presumably include representatives from the admissions and financial aid departments, along with alumni and high-ranking members of the university administration.

The head basketball coach position has been open since March 10, when Athletics Director John Reeves relieved Hill of his duties after eight seasons. With the mandatory 30-day open application period satisfied, Reeves is free to announce a replacement once the committee reaches a decision. The announcement will likely come by the end of the week.

Phil Wallace contributed to this report.