Cavaliers’ coach search offers few answers

Ten days have passed since Dave Leitao “resigned” as Virginia basketball coach. During that time, speculation has run rampant about the candidates who may or may not be interested in replacing him.

At this point, the only thing that can be said for sure is that Virginia doesn’t seem any closer to naming a new coach than it was the day Leitao walked out of John Paul Jones Arena.

It is believed that Minnesota coach Tubby Smith remains at the top of Virginia’s list of candidates to replace Leitao in spite of a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that quoted Smith as saying he planned on staying in the Twin Cities.

It is not known whether Virginia has spoken directly with Smith. The Gophers coach, who is believed to be UVa’s top choice, hasn’t returned phone calls seeking comment. His team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last Thursday to Texas.

Smith is one of the few candidates on Virginia’s radar that is free to talk. Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel, Xavier coach Sean Miller and Villanova coach Jay Wright are still alive in the Sweet 16.

Virginia Commonwealth coach Anthony Grant is another name on Virginia’s list. But with job openings at Alabama and Georgia, UVa would have to act fast.

The Tide were recently granted permission to interview Grant, a former longtime assistant at Florida under Billy Donovan. Two years ago, Grant was nearly hired to replace Donovan after the Gators coach initially accepted an offer to coach the Orlando Magic. Grant could very well have his sights set on a return to the SEC.

Another candidate Virginia might look at could be Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, a former Duke assistant. On Tuesday, ESPN college basketball reporter Andy Katz speculated that Brey would be interested in the UVa opening.

Clearly, Brey — whose team plays Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the NIT this evening — wouldn’t have the cachet of a Smith or some of the other candidates. The move would likely be viewed as not that much of an upgrade from Leitao, who, like Brey, came from the Big East (DePaul).

With attractive job openings at Arizona and likely Kentucky, time is definitely of the essence for Virginia, who would be wise to lock down one of its top candidates before the annual game of coaching musical chairs really heats up.