My two cents: Pressure building for Memphis, ex-Cat Pastner to deliver
In his sixth season at Memphis, Josh Pastner is 146-56. Sean Miller is 152-51 in his sixth season at Arizona.
Both coaches routinely sell out their home games at 14,500 or thereabouts. Both have been to four NCAA tournaments.
But Pastner is under considerable fire at Memphis, because the Tigers, at 16-10, are tied for fourth place in the lowbrow American Athletic Conference, and have lost at home to Stephen F. Austin, among others.
The only way Memphis is going to get to the NCAA tournament is to win the AAC tournament, which isn’t likely. Whatever equity Pastner built by being part of John Calipari’s Memphis staff is fading.
The former Arizona assistant coach is only 37, and should be entering the prime of his career. If Memphis is unhappy, there are plenty of basketball-needy Pac-12 schools that could use Pastner’s recruiting ability and communication skills.
When the hiring/firing season begins next month, a sharp athletics director somewhere in Seattle or Tempe might be able to get Pastner before the Memphis ship runs aground.
