DePaul ready to make next coach one of richest in Big East in effort to restore program

DePaul ready to make coach 1 of Big East’s richest

CHICAGO — Hoping to restore a once-proud program, DePaul is prepared to make its next coach one of the richest in the Big East.

Athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto said Tuesday that the next coach could have a salary that “would definitely be in the top half and it would be comparably close to the very top” in the conference. It was a big sign that the “little school under the el tracks,” as legendary coach Ray Meyer called it, is ready to make a big push after getting knocked around the past few years.

Ponsetto said DePaul is looking at candidates that include current head coaches of “very successful programs.” There have been no interviews because coaches the school wants to talk with are participating in the NCAA tournament.

“Somebody would have to leave something really good if we get any of our top several choices,” Ponsetto said.

The Blue Demons just completed their third straight losing season, going 8-23 overall and 1-17 in Big East play after failing to win a regular-season conference game the previous year.

“We have a tremendous men’s basketball tradition, so there’s a history here of the program having been successful,” Ponsetto said. “We know how to get into the NCAA tournament.”

They’ve done it 22 times but not since 2004, when they made the second round under Dave Leitao. They’ve made the NIT twice since then.

Although they dropped their final 13 games this season, they were more competitive under interim coach Tracy Webster, who replaced the fired Jerry Wainwright in January following several blowout losses and will be considered for the job.

Along with what could be a big payday, the lure of leading a storied program in one of the toughest conferences with a fertile recruiting ground right outside the gym’s doors is strong. DePaul has two NCAA Final Four appearances and an NIT championship.

It has a long list of star players, from the great George Mikan to Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings and Rod Strickland.

It has an on-campus practice facility with recently renovated locker rooms and refurbished men’s basketball offices. It has chartered planes for Big East road games. And it has strong academics.

“DePaul absolutely has everything it needs to be successful,” Ponsetto said.

One thing DePaul doesn’t have: An on-campus arena.

The Blue Demons just completed their 30th season at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., an 18,500-seat facility about 15 miles away from campus, near O’Hare International Airport. Games played on or near campus would figure to draw well in a densely populated and lively neighborhood that attracts a young crowd.

“DePaul is very much aware that a campus facility is something that a lot of people would like to see, but look around,” Ponsetto said. “We’re pretty landlocked, and it’s not like anything locally in the neighborhood, right in our campus boundaries, is going to change in the very near future.

“It’s on DePaul’s radar to think about a facility going forward, but at this point in time, that’s not what’s been about whether or not we can be successful or not be successful.”