Turn Up the Orange | UTEP sports talk

Derrick Caracter has agent. Arnett Moultrie to NBA?

The big news of the day is Tim Floyd's hiring as UTEP basketball coach. 

A news conference is expected to begin in two hours to make the announcement. 

Floyd would take over a team returning a talented bevy of juniors. But one, Derrick Caracter, is testing the NBA Draft waters. And it looks like there will be no hope of him returning. CBS Sports reports that Caracter has signed with agent Happy Walters. 

Fox Sports reports that another UTEP player is looking for a pro career as well. 

FOXSports.com's Jeff Goodman, in a story posted earlier this afternoon, says Arnett Moultrie is leaving for the NBA. 

Wouldn't seem to be a smart move for the 6-foot-11 sophomore, whom draft experts had high expectations for when the season began. But many say his stock has dropped and would be better served playing another year of college basketball. Interesting development, if there's any truth to it. 

Tim Floyd, a safe hire?

It's been a whirlwind of names and emotions, but it appears that UTEP has finally found its next men's basketball coach.

Sources have told the Times that Tim Floyd will be named the next Miners coach. A formal announcement should come later today.

This comes a day after UTEP declared current assistant coach Randall Dickey the frontrunner for the job.

Floyd was one of the loudest names screamed by fans since the departure of Tony Barbee, who guided the Miners this season to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005.

Floyd, 56, comes most recently from New Orleans where he coached the NBA's Hornets. He was also an assistant coach at UTEP under legendary coach Don Haskins.

One of Floyd's more recent coaching stops, however, has had many concerned.

The NCAA is currently investigating transgressions that may have occurred at USC while Floyd was coaching there. They involve prized recruit and current NBA player O.J. Mayo. An announcement from the NCAA on these matters is expected before May. Presumably, UTEP's brass has a heads up on this and sees Floyd's hiring as low-risk. Trouble from the infractions committee could, after all, mean trouble for UTEP.

There's also no word yet on Floyd's contract, specifically years and salary.

There's lots to watch as this hiring unfolds. Stay tuned.

Tim Floyd to be named next UTEP coach

UPDATE: Bill Knight has quickly confirmed that Tim Floyd will be named UTEP basketball coach.

Earlier post: The day "Randall Dickey looks to be atop UTEP men's basketball coach list" appears in the Times, I come in to work and find this on Twitter:

gabrielmartinez: via Krod SportsTalkers FB Heard that UTEP is on the way to Louisiana to pick up Tim Floyd to introduce him as UTEP's next head coach.

Tough to keep up with the changing winds.

Randall Dickey, the right choice

Should a report from the Times’ Bill Knight hold true, then neither Tim Floyd nor Billy Gillispie will be the next head basketball coach at UTEP. 

Current Miner assistant Randall Dickey seems to be the guy.

And while it may pain many of you to hear it, it is indeed what’s right for this program. (I said right, not best).

Dickey has had a hand in building the current Miners team. And while he may choose to bring a different coaching philosophy should he be in charge, there’s no one that knows the strengths and limitations of these players better. That’s key if you’re not looking to disrupt what should be a team littered with senior starters next season that made the NCAA tournament this year. 

Bring in Gillispie, Floyd or anyone else for that matter and you potentially make a mess of a good thing. And if you ask me, Gillispie was never really in the running. A little too rich for El Paso all these years later. That’s evidenced by the fact that he only got a phone interview. 

Floyd’s got way too much baggage. By all accounts, the NCAA is expected to rule by next month on transgressions that may have occurred at USC recently while Floyd was coach there. Could mean scholarships lost. Could mean nothing. Either way, don’t think he’s allowed to do ANYTHING for UTEP until he’s cleared by the infractions committee. That could mean the Miners would have their hands tied while potential recruits are sought by other schools. 

Dickey, meanwhile, brings no problems. He also brings the opportunity of a light pay day, something those other two guys don’t give you. Many complain about UTEP’s unwillingness to get big money for their coaches. But the fact is, UTEP isn’t exactly flush with cash. How many times did the Don sell out last year? How many people are in the Diamond Club of donors? Most fans gotta spend their money elsewhere. I understand that, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But don’t think that UTEP can miracle a bale of cash out of a few sellouts and some T-shirts. 

Dickey will keep the ship rolling next season. And if he happens to string together a few winning seasons after that, I’d call that a good hire.

Derrick Caracter heading to NBA

Derrick Caracter is declaring for the NBA Draft, CBSSports.com reports.

A source close to the UTEP program told CBSSports.com on Monday that Caracter informed the staff he was entering the NBA Draft even before Tony Barbee left for Auburn last week. 

More rebuilding to come, apparently. And now it's more clear why Barbee would want to jump ship quickly.

Tony Barbee accepts Auburn job

It’s all but official. 

The UTEP men’s basketball is without a coach.

Various sources say Tony Barbee has accepted the head coaching job for Auburn’s basketball team. 

Barbee was one of four candidates interviewed for the position this week. One of those candidates was former New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus. 

According to ESPN, Barbee was scheduled to interview with DePaul later this week. 

Barbee replaces Jeff Lebo, who was fired after winning only one Southeastern Conference game this season. 

Barbee guided the Miners to 26 wins this season and their first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2005. 

Say goodbye to Tony Barbee

Might as well face it, Tony Barbee will not be the head coach of the UTEP men’s basketball team next season. 

The Birmingham News says Barbee is on the short list for the vacant Auburn Tigers job. 

The spot was once occupied by Jeff Lebo, who made about $750,000 annually while at Auburn. Lebo is still owed about $1.5 million on his contract, which had three years remaining. 

As we’ve stated on this blog before, Barbee makes about $357,457 a year as UTEP’s head coach, including perks. If Auburn decides Barbee is their man, it will easily be able to give Barbee about double his current salary. 

Aside from that, it’s going to be a lot easier to get kids in the South enthused about Auburn, Ala., then, say, El Paso. Barbee has lured a slew of talented players from the South to the Sun City and steadily turned them into winners. He’ll be able to do the same for far more money with a move east. 

Should Auburn decide Barbee is not the guy they want at the helm, DePaul, St. Johns, Oregon and several other schools are waiting with their hands out. 

Hard to compete with that. 

Birmingham News: Tony Barbee on Auburn's interview list

From Birmingham News:

Tony Barbee, come on down. You're the next contestant in Auburn's basketball coaching search.

Barbee, the Texas-El Paso coach who was in the NCAA Tournament last week, is down to be interviewed by the Tigers in their search to find Jeff Lebo's replacement, people familiar with the search have told The Birmingham News.

Trouble for UTEP football

The UTEP football team has had a relatively event-free offseason. That is, until now. 

UTEP coach Mike Price announced today that senior quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, as well as senior wide receiver Pierce Hunter and senior offensive lineman Alex Solot, have been suspended for the start of spring football for unspecified violations of team rules.

“They won't be a part of the team for the next two weeks,” Price said. “They won't be in the weight room, on the sidelines or in the locker room. They will be punished accordingly through physical activity.”

This is the latest in a series of damning developments in the past 13 months that paint this team as undisciplined and unfocused on football. 

There was the Valentine’s Day fight between linemen Aaron King and Austin Shaffer on campus.

There was the the June robbery that Daniel Palmer and Nickolas Sampson received probation for last month. Both are no longer part of the team. 

Now comes this. 

We’re not gonna know what rules these players broke, nor will we speculate. But you figure they’ve gotta be somewhat severe if they’re gonna miss more than a third of spring football. 

I was a Trevor Vittatoe backer last season. I think he shouldered more blame than he deserved when you consider that several of his receivers were busier making cameos on rap songs than working on catching passes. And let’s not forget that several of the seniors on last year’s roster were part of a melee outside a Downtown El Paso club in 2007 that ended with two players receiving felony charges. One of those was part of the aforementioned receiving corps that had a case of the drops during the 2009 season. It should be stated that the felony charges were dropped. 

Given all this, I thought Vittatoe would step up this season and become the leader this team needs. But it doesn’t look like he’s it. And now the Miners’ locker room stands to suffer from it. A team that doesn’t believe in each other doesn’t win. 

Now, coaches and players are gonna say all the right things from here on out. But make no mistake, this team will not be successful if it doesn’t buy into discipline, work ethic and building character. It’s up to the coaches to instill this and weed out those that don’t fall in line. 

Kudos go to Mike Price for indicating that he’s not gonna stand for any off-the-field problems from this year’s squad. And if you want to look for a silver lining here, it may be that we’ll get a good look at Corey Trisby under center. 

Even so, it’s still a bad day for UTEP football. 

UTEP Pep Rally videos from San Jose

Videos courtesy of Ivan Pierre Aguirre / Special to the Times