Arizona can’t announce Joe Pasternack’s replacement until April 13 because of its mandatory 10-day posting period, but Lorenzo Romar could be the guy if he’s willing take an associate role after 21 seasons in the head coach’s chair.
While I've heard conflicting information on whether Romar was in town Monday, one outsider with knowledge of the situation told me the former Washington coach is Miller’s choice.
Meanwhile, Scout’s Josh Gershon said Romar appears to be “fully in” if the two can come to terms.
“Sean Miller wants Lorenzo, and Lorenzo wants the job,” Gershon said.
Romar is already owed a $3.2 million buyout from Washington, according to the Seattle Times, while he would likely command at least a mid-six figure salary at Arizona as an associate head coach.
Pasternack, who was named UC Santa Barbara’s head coach on Tuesday, was paid $302,000 as associate coach last season.
Although Miller and Romar had some highly contested battles during Miller’s first few seasons at UA, the two appeared to hit it off particularly after Miller spent time coaching with USA Basketball junior teams from 2014-15. Romar was on the USA Basketball Junior Team committee that helps select the U18 and U19 teams.
Getting Romar also would strengthen Arizona’s recruiting ties, especially on the West Coast, where Pasternack was strongest. Arizona also has struggled to recruit Pacific Northwest players in part because of Romar’s former presence in Seattle.
“It certainly gets Arizona back to play in the Pacific Northwest in a way they haven't since Lute Olson was the coach,” Gershon said. “Seattle had become almost impossible because of the loyalty in that city to Romar.”
Would be interesting to see if Romar’s more uptempo offensive philosophy might influence Miller, too.
Chance Comanche will test the NBA Draft, according to Scout's Evan Daniels. That would be a mild surprise but the more relaxed rules make it possible for any underclassman to receive free information from going through the NBA Draft process (while driving their college coaches nuts). They can return to school by May 20 if they don't sign with an agent.
What's not a surprise is that Kobi Simmons is leaving Arizona. He's long been expected to leave, and an NBA scout confirmed again Tuesday that he will sign with an agent. Because of his physical gifts and upside, Simmons will likely warrant a second-round pick.
Still no word on Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins but that’s likely because they’re still collecting information on what their draft status is. If they opt to make a firm decision off that, they won't have to go through with the much-longer testing-the-waters process (and knowing firmly which way they are heading would undoubtedly help UA's much-unfinished spring recruiting).
Neither is a likely first-round pick this year but are both projected second-rounders next season, according to Draft Express.
