MHERST — Who is Fran McCaffery?

Maybe the next University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach. But that won't be known until after interviews with several candidates, including McCaffery, the North Carolina-Greensboro coach who is expected to visit the campus soon.

As teams are eliminated from postseason play, the UMass candidates' list is expected to be finalized. But it's not finished yet.

"Our list isn't completed," UMass athletic director Bob Marcum said last night. "We have a lot of contacts we haven't finished making yet, because people were out of town."

Marcum said he spoke with UMass Chancellor David K. Scott Friday on the interviewing process. Marcum declined to name candidates, but one appears to be McCaffery, who showed interest even before UNC-Greensboro lost to Stanford in the West Regional at San Diego.

McCaffery is also attracting interest from La Salle, and perhaps from other schools from among nearly 20 with openings in Division I. UMass is a better job than La Salle in most ways, but McCaffery is a 1982 Penn graduate who coached at Lehigh, so he has Pennsylvania ties.

The UMass job became open when Bruiser Flint resigned last week, a move prompted by a negative recommendation from Marcum, who is leading the search for a new coach. Flint has interviews lined up at Northeastern and Drexel, and may talk to La Salle within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the UMass replacement search is heating up.

"I will speak with anybody that wants to speak to me about coaching possibilities," McCaffery said after Thursday's 89-60 NCAA first-round loss to Stanford.

North Carolina-Greensboro athletic director Nelson Bobb seems resigned to losing McCaffery, who has also served as a Notre Dame assistant. McCaffery's agreement with UNC-Greensboro allows him to talk to any interested schools.

"I thought he was a real find two years ago, and I think he's still a real find today," Bobb told North Carolina media. In his second season, McCaffery led his 19-12 team to the Southern Conference title and the NCAA berth.

Another name that has surfaced is that of St. Bonaventure's Jim Baron, who has four years left on a five-year contract. Baron explored other coaching options last year.

Having resurrected St. Bonaventure, Baron has proven he can be competitive in the Atlantic 10, without the recruiting advantages he'd have at UMass.

As Bob Knight seems to be inching closer to the Texas Tech job, the only big name currently on the board may be Bobby Cremins, who stepped down at Georgia Tech last year.

Cremins, who coached Springfield's Travis Best, has been a successful recruiter with strong New York ties. He's also a risk taker who often successfully gambled on signing the one or two major recruits he'd target each year.

Cremins' ability as a game coach has been questioned, but he might help spark interest in a UMass program concerned about public interest and ticket sales.

Hofstra coach Jay Wright remains a likely favorite for the UMass job, but only if he wants it. He might, in the unlikely event that neither the job at Seton Hall (where Tommy Amaker has been rumored to be leaving for Michigan) nor Rutgers (where Kevin Bannon may be fired) opens up.

Jeff Lebo (Tennessee Tech), Ralph Willard (Holy Cross) and Jeff Ruland (Iona) are also in the UMass mix.

REENSBORO -- Fran McCaffery's success in turning around the basketball program at UNCG has not gone unnoticed.

McCaffery will interview today and Wednesday for the opening at Massachusetts and he has also been contacted by La Salle, although no interview has yet been scheduled there.

The Massachusetts job appears to be the more serious overture. Athletics director Bob Marcum said Monday that he has received many good recommendations about McCaffery.

"Everyone tells me this guy can recruit and he can coach," Marcum said. "They say he's a self-starter and gets things done.

"We have an interest in the Northeast corridor and Fran is from Philadelphia, went to Penn, did a good job at Lehigh and was an assistant at Notre Dame. He's done a real good job at UNCG."

McCaffery has been at UNCG for two years. He took over a team that went 7-20 in 1998-99, went 15-13 his first season and guided it to the Southern Conference tournament championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament this season. The Spartans finished 19-12, losing to Stanford 79-60 in the first round.

"Some coaches start firing off resumes after they've had some success but I've done nothing but field phone calls," McCaffery said. "I'm willing to explore opportunities to see if they're right for my family.

"I'm not going to waste anyone's time. That's not fair to any school or to UNCG. If the interest wasn't serious, I wouldn't go. I have heard from some schools and told them I have no interest. With others, you have to engage in some dialogue."

The Massachusetts program took off during the era of John Calipari and reached the Final Four in 1996, bowing to Kentucky 81-74 in the semifinals. When Calipari, now at Memphis, left to be the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets, assistant Bruiser Flint was elevated to head coach. Flint resigned after this season's 15-15 record, going 86-72 in five years.

The team plays in a 9,000-seat facility that opened in 1993. It is a member of the Atlantic 10, which gets considerable TV exposure. Those are the kinds of factors, McCaffery said, that make the job worth considering.

"This is a very good job here," Marcum said. "Is is a North Carolina or a Kansas or a Kentucky? No. But it's a good job in a good league with good resources."

Other names mentioned as possibilities include Jim Baron of St. Bonaventure, Ralph Willard of Holy Cross, Jay Wright of Hofstra and Boston College assistant Tim O'Shea. No one else has interviewed for the job yet and Marcum said there is no timetable.

"Certain people light a spark and others don't," Marcum said. "If we're all in agreement about someone, we won't wait around."

La Salle, located in McCaffery's native Philadelphia, has talked to him by phone. The school fired coach Speedy Morris after 15 seasons, although the last eight were losing records.

"Philadelphia is where my family and friends are," McCaffery said, "but my ultimate goal in my career is not to get back there."

UNCG athletics director Nelson Bobb, who granted permission for Massachusetts and La Salle to contact McCaffery, said he has mixed feelings about possibly losing his coach.

"I know what he means to our program and our student-athletes," Bobb said. "But if it works out for him, then we're better off having had him than not."

MHERST - North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery will be the first candidate to interview for the vacant University of Massachusetts men's basketball post and is expected to be on campus at some point this week.

The 42-year-old McCaffery confirmed this in published reports. "I'm looking forward to it,'' he said. "I'm anxious to go up there and see some things, and talk to people.''

McCaffery led the Spartans to a 19-12 record and Southern Conference tournament title this year. As a No. 16 seed, UNC-Greensboro fell to top seed Stanford 89-60 Thursday.

McCaffery is 89-64 in his career as a head coach. He was the nation's youngest when he took over at Lehigh at age 26 in 1985. He led the Mountain Hawks to a 39-29 record in three seasons, including a trip to the NCAA tournament in 1988.

He left the Mountain Hawks to become an assistant under Digger Phelps and then John MacLeod at Notre Dame, and returned to head coaching last year.

McCaffery's teams have been characterized by an uptempo offense. He has recruited in the Boston area before: the Spartans' point guard was Courtney Eldridge, who played AAU for the Boston Amatuer Basketball Club, the same team that produced Minutemen Monty Mack, Jonathan DePina and Shannon Crooks among others.

His only losing season as a head coach was his first, when Lehigh finished 13-15.

He played one season at Wake Forest before transferring to Penn in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he graduated with an economics degree in 1982.

He was an assistant at Penn for one season (1982-83) before moving on to Lehigh, where he was an assistant for two years before being named head coach.

In a recent story in The Sporting News, McCaffrey acknowledged that giving up a head coaching job at Lehigh to go back to being an assistant at Notre Dame was a smart career move.

"I'm a better coach than I would have been if I stayed at Lehigh," he said. "I have much better perspective on things. I'm clearly more confident, especially in tight games."

McCaffrey will be the first interview in a list that is expected to include Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard and could include Hofstra's Jay Wright and Tennessee Tech's Jeff Lebo, among others.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

he University of Massachusetts's search for a men's basketball coach expanded to Hofstra yesterday when athletic director Bob Marcum asked for and received permission to talk to Pride coach Jay Wright.

Wright, who also would be at the top of the list at Rutgers if the administration decides to fire Kevin Bannon, joins UNC-Greensboro's Fran McCaffery and St. Bonaventure's Jim Baron as candidates Marcum wants to talk to as he goes about finding a replacement for Bruiser Flint.

''We're going to start calling people in and talking to them to see where we are in the next several days,'' said Marcum. ''I asked permission to talk to Jay and hope to talk to him in the next few days.''

McCaffery and Baron also are expected to meet with Marcum in the next few days, but Wright would top the list if he is interested. And that is a big ''if.'' Wright is the hot mid-major coach du jour, coming off a 26-5 season that included the America East title and ended with a first-round loss to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Thursday.

With his metropolitan New York background, Wright is inclined to stay in that area, which is why Rutgers would be his first choice. And while that job is expected to open up, there are several financial considerations with Bannon's contract that have to be resolved before Rutgers can make a change.

Wright, who also has had contact from La Salle and Rhode Island, would have to make a decision.

He could stay at Hofstra, which will move to the Colonial Athletic Association, perhaps as early as next season. But his marketability could be at an all-time high right now. Hofstra will lose the heart of this season's team to graduation, and if it drops below .500, Wright's status could drop.

Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy is in somewhat of a quandary since it seems clear he wants to make a change after another losing season that found Rutgers in the cellar of the Big East West. But he gave Bannon a contract extension last season. It will cost the school more than $1 million if Bannon is fired. Mulcahy is expected to confer with Rutgers president Fran Lawrence in the next two days about the feasibility of a buyout.

If Rutgers can take the financial hit, Mulcahy immediately will turn to Wright, who is very interested in the job.

At UMass, meanwhile, Marcum also likely will try to talk to Iona's Jeff Ruland, who is in the process of renegotiating his contract. Holy Cross's Ralph Willard was a possibility, but Crusaders athletic director Dick Regan denied permission to talk to Willard, who led a revival of the program this season, culminating with the Patriot League title and a strong showing in the East Regional against Kentucky last week.

Marcum also could attempt to set up an interview with New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla, if he can determine that Fraschilla has a legitimate interest in UMass.

On Marcum's second screen would be assistants at major conference Division 1 schools, in which case Boston College associate head coach Tim O'Shea would merit consideration.

''We're just trying to be as thorough as we can be,'' said Marcum.

There was no significant movement at Northeastern, where athletic director Ian McCaw is still setting up interviews. Flint seems to be the front-runner, with an interview set up for early next week. Beyond that, McCaw could turn to Brown coach Glen Miller, Ohio State assistant Paul Biancardi, or Connecticut assistant Karl Hobbs. He also may talk to O'Shea.

Another possibility is former Celtics coach Chris Ford. Ford yesterday interviewed at La Salle, but sources say the front-runner there may be Drake coach Kurt Kanaskie, a 1980 La Salle graduate. LaSalle also is pursuing McCaffery, who grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Penn.

Flint, who is in Memphis visiting former UMass coach John Calipari, will fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow to discuss the opening at Duquesne and then fly to Philadelphia to talk about the opening at Drexel Friday. He'll talk with Northestern early next week.

At BC, athletic director Gene DeFilippo has started the process of renegotiating Al Skinner's contract, which has three years left.

MHERST -- St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron interviewed for the head coaching job at Massachusetts on Tuesday, with North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery due in next.

UMass athletic director Bob Marcum said the school had no timetable for finding a replacement for Bruiser Flint, who was required to resign after the team failed to make the NCAA tournament.

Marcum declined to comment on other candidates. But those reported to be in the mix are New Mexico's Fran Fraschilla, Holy Cross's Ralph Willard, Iona's Jeff Ruland and Hofstra's Jay Wright.

Baron signed a five-year extension with St. Bonaventure last fall, months after leading the school to its first NCAA tournament berth in 22 years. He has coached the Bonnies for 10 years.

Last April, he was a candidate for jobs at Colorado State and Air Force.

St. Bonaventure set a school record for conference victories in 1999-2000, going 11-5 in the Atlantic 10 and 21-10 overall, the most wins since the team went 21-8 in 1978. The Bonnies' season ended with an 85-80 double-overtime loss to Kentucky in the NCAA first round.

This year, the Bonnies went 18-12 and lost in the first round of the NIT.

"We have some people that we want to interview. Jim was the first one," Marcum said. "He's done a good job in our league."

McCaffery led Greensboro to the Southern Conference championship and an NCAA berth before losing in the first round to Stanford.

Flint has been considered for coaching openings at Northeastern and Drexel, and he has also been mentioned in connection with the job at La Salle. He reportedly has also been contacted by former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino about becoming an assistant at Louisville, should Pitino take the head coaching job there.

After Flint left UMass, three recruits who had committed to the school asked to be let out of their letters of intent. Marcum has said he would not stand in their way.

REENSBORO -- Fran McCaffery's success in turning around the men's basketball program at UNCG has not gone unnoticed.

McCaffery will interview today and Wednesday for the opening at Massachusetts. La Salle will also contact him, although no interview has been scheduled.

The Massachusetts job appears to be the more serious overture. Athletics director Bob Marcum said Monday that he has received many good recommendations for McCaffery.

"Everyone tells me this guy can recruit and he can coach," Marcum said. "They say he's a self-starter and gets things done.

"We have an interest in the Northeast corridor and Fran is from Philadelphia, went to Penn, did a good job at Lehigh and was an assistant at Notre Dame. He's done a real good job at UNCG."

McCaffery has coached at UNCG for two years. He took over a team that went 7-20 in 1998-99, went 15-13 his first season and guided the Spartans to the Southern Conference tournament championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament this season. The Spartans finished 19-12, losing to Stanford 89-60 in the first round.

"Some coaches start firing off resumes after they've had some success, but I've done nothing but field phone calls," McCaffery said. "I'm willing to explore opportunities to see if they're right for my family.

"I'm not going to waste anyone's time. That's not fair to any school or to UNCG. If the interest wasn't serious, I wouldn't go. I have heard from some schools and told them I have no interest.

"With others, you have to engage in some dialogue."

The Massachusetts program took off during the John Calipari era and reached the Final Four in 1996, bowing to Kentucky 81-74 in the semifinals. When Calipari, now at Memphis, left to take over as head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets, assistant Bruiser Flint became to head coach. Flint resigned after this season's 15-15 record, going 86-72 in five years.

The team plays in a 9,000-seat facility that opened in 1993. It is a member of the Atlantic 10, which gets considerable TV exposure. Those are the kinds of factors, McCaffery said, that make the job worth considering.

"This is a very good job here," Marcum said. "Is it a North Carolina or a Kansas or a Kentucky? No. But it's a good job in a good league with good resources."

Other names mentioned as possibilities include Jim Baron of St. Bonaventure, Ralph Willard of Holy Cross, Jay Wright of Hofstra and Boston College assistant Tim O'Shea. No one else has interviewed for the job, and Marcum said there is no timetable.

"Certain people light a spark and others don't," Marcum said. "If we're all in agreement about someone, we won't wait around."

La Salle, located in McCaffery's native Philadelphia, has talked to him by phone. The school fired coach Speedy Morris after 15 seasons, although the last eight finished with losing records.

"Philadelphia is where my family and friends are," McCaffery said, "but my ultimate goal in my career is not to get back there."

UNCG athletics director Nelson Bobb, who granted permission for Massachusetts and La Salle to contact McCaffery, said he has mixed feelings about possibly losing his coach.

"I know what he means to our program and our student-athletes," Bobb said. "But if it works out for him, then we're better off having had him than not."

MHERST - There is a certain protocol that often comes with the courtship dance between a school with a vacancy and a coach with ambition.

Both parties are supposed to appear interested, but not too interested, in case the other party decides to go in another direction.

North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery is kicking convention aside. The 42-year-old coach, who will be in Amherst Wednesday to interview for the vacant head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts, hopes to get a job offer and he wasn't shy about his enthusiasm for the opportunity.

"I'm very excited about it," said McCaffery, who is one of a about a handful of candidates for the position. "If I was lukewarm about a position I wouldn't interview for it."

McCaffery led the Spartans to a 19-12 record and Southern Conference tournament title this year. As a No. 16 seed, UNC-Greensboro fell to top seed Stanford 89-60 last Thursday.

McCaffery is 89-64 in his career as a head coach. He was the nation's youngest sideline boss when he took over at Lehigh at age 26 in 1985. He led the Mountain Hawks to a 39-29 record in three seasons, including a trip to the NCAA tournament in 1988.

He left the Mountain Hawks to become an assistant under Digger Phelps and then John MacLeod, and returned to head coaching last year. This year's run has garnered him some attention as a rising coach.

UMass Athletic Director Robert Marcum said McCaffery had some backing that might get some UMass fans' attention.

"He had a strong recommendation from (former UMass coach) John Calipari as well as a lot of other people," Marcum said. "He did a good job at Lehigh. He's proved to be a really good recruiter at Notre Dame and Greensboro."

McCaffery said his move to Notre Dame was critical in his evolution as a potential recruiter at a major university.

"Going back to Notre Dame, I developed very critical national recruiting connections," McCaffery said. "I consider myself a good recruiter. I've recruited in Texas, in California. I've recruited in Philly and so forth. You need those kind of connections at UMass because this is a national program."

He's recruited in Boston as well. Courtney Eldridge, his point guard this season played for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club the same AAU team that produced Minutemen Monty Mack, Jonathan DePina and Shannon Crooks. Eldridge is the son of former UMass star Alex Eldridge.

McCaffery thinks his style of play could work at UMass.

"We like to run. We're definitely a team that pushes the ball," he said. "We play mostly man-to-man. We use a motion offense. We run some sets. You have to be able to do both - play in the halfcourt and in transition.

"From what I know of the UMass personnel, they can run," McCaffery continued. "They have some athletes that will like to run and get up and down the floor."

When asked about UMass' scheduling, which became a point of contention between Bruiser Flint, who was forced to resign last Monday, and Marcum, McCaffery took the high road.

"I understand why they schedule the way they do," he said. "This year's schedule was obviously very difficult. Was it too difficult? I don't know, I wasn't there; but maybe it helped toughen them up for the conference season, where they played very well."

McCaffery said his relationship with his own athletic director, Nelson Bobb, has been very positive even though he's considering leaving.

"I have an extremely special relationship with my athletic director," McCaffery said. "He's been very supportive and said a lot of positive things on my behalf when people call."

His other boss has been behind him as well.

"My wife understands the business," McCaffery said. "She's very supportive and she's very excited about this too. My family is just getting settled down here. I have two young boys, but this is an opportunity that I would be comfortable moving them for."

When McCaffery finds out whether he'll have to make that move is unclear. Marcum hasn't set a time table for making a decision.

"Obviously any coach would like the process to move quickly, but I'm intelligent enough to know what Bob is going through," McCaffery said. "He's been up front with me through everything. I'm certainly not rushing anybody by any means. Bob has to find the right fit to find someone that can get the program back to a national power, and I understand that."

McCaffery hopes he gets the chance to be that someone.

MHERST - If you can't beat em, hire 'em?

It's a strategy University of Massachusetts Athletic Director Bob Marcum may decide to employ.

For the past two seasons, St. Bonaventure, under the leadership of coach Jim Baron, has dominated the Minutemen, winning four of the last five games between the two Atlantic 10 rivals.

Interviews for the vacant UMass head coaching position will begin today, and Baron has gone from nemesis to candidate. He and Marcum will meet today to discuss the position.

"I'm intrigued with the situation there," Baron said. "I'm honored and flattered to be considered, especially by teams within the league."

Marcum said Baron's success speaks for itself.

"Everyone knows Jim and what kind of job he's done," Marcum said. "He's done very well without all the resources he'd have here. He's a very viable candidate."

North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery will interview Thursday. Marcum said he had a third candidate tentatively set to interview, but declined to name who it would be.

Marcum said the candidates would meet with a variety of people when they visited UMass, including administrators and academic support staff, as well as many others.

St. Bonaventure AD Gothard Lane said he hoped Baron wouldn't leave Western New York, but wouldn't block his path if he decided to.

"I don't want to lose him; no way, shape or form," Lane said. "But I've never denied a coach the opportunity to look at other jobs."

Lane said if Baron, a Bona alum, is offered the UMass position, he would try to counter it.

"If we felt we had the opportunity to make him an offer that would make him happy I would definitely do it," Lane said.

Lane praised Baron's performance in his nine years at St. Bonaventure.

"He's done an unbelievable job," Lane said. "He's technically sound. He relates to the kids well. When he first took the job the school had some financial problems. But in the last three years, he's really had the resources to run the kind of program that he wanted."

Baron has produced a 132-131 record at St. Bonaventure, including 70-52 in the past four years.

If Baron were hired, it might bring former Minuteman Tyrone Weeks back to UMass. Weeks just finished his second year on the Bonnie staff. It's conceivable to think he could follow Baron to Amherst if a deal were struck.

WILLARD UNAVAILABLE? - Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard's name emerged almost immediately as a possible successor for Bruiser Flint when the latter was forced to resign last Monday.

National media sources had Willard as the frontrunner at UMass, but the Minutemen might not get a chance to even consider him, if Holy Cross Athletic Director Dick Regan has his way.

"We haven't had anyone contact us," Regan said. "He's under contract, so they would have ask our permission and I would not grant it."

That's a somewhat unusual stand for an athletic director to take, as most schools tend not to stand in their coaches' way if they try for greener (or more lucrative) pastures.

Hofstra athletic director Harry Royle granted Marcum permission Monday to talk to hot commodity Jay Wright.

"Jay is part of our family. We'd love for him to stay, but we'd love for him to do whatever is best for him and his family," Royle said.

National media sources have reported that Wright is hoping for a Big East job, but it is unclear if any will become open.

Marcum said UMass planned on asking Kent State for permission to speak with coach Gary Waters, whose team upset Indiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week.

"He's done a great job there," Marcum said.

Marcum said he will consider some top assistants from major programs as well, but pointed out, "Most of those schools are still in the Sweet Sixteen."

Marcum said he hadn't contacted Iona regarding coach Jeff Ruland, waiting to see the results of Ruland's negotiations for an extension with the Gaels.

Ruland said his first preference was to stay at Iona, his alma mater.

"You have to understand, this is a special place for me," Ruland said. "I met my wife here and I have some great memories here. I'm supposed to sit down with them this week. I have to do what's best for me and my family."

WAITING ON RECRUITS - Contrary to published reports, Marcum said that the three UMass recruits who had signed letters of intent have not already decided to transfer, although he acknowledged it was a strong possibility.

"We've begun the paper work for that, but I told them to drop me a note to let me know," he said. "I haven't heard from any of them yet."

ADDING THEIR OWN INPUT - Some UMass fans have tried to influence the process via the Internet. A website, buzzpeterson2umass.org, was created. It features a picture of Peterson and an open letter to Marcum hoping to convince him to hire the Tulsa coach at UMass.

he scenario seemed unlikely at first.

Massachusetts interested in St. Bonaventure men’s basketball coach Jim Baron for the school’s open head-coaching job?

No way.

Not the school that once employed high-profile John Calipari and reportedly pursued Bobby Knight and Rick Pitino as replacements for the recently resigned Bruiser Flint.

It had to be a ploy, some Boston-area reporter or UMass official floating Baron’s name to gauge interest.

But, as it turns out, the road from rumor to reality was exactly one week long.

Baron interviewed for the UMass coaching job on Tuesday — seven days after his name first appeared in the Boston Globe as a possible candidate.

And just a week after his name first surfaced, Baron’s become one of two front runners to replace Flint in Amherst, Mass. Fran McCaffery, the North Carolina-Greensboro coach who interviewed at UMass on Wednesday, is the other one.

Those are the only two coaches who are confirmed to have interviewed with UMass athletic director Bob Marcum.

That’s not necessarily a reflection on the UMass opening or the school itself. After all, there’s a wicked game of coaching musical chairs going on in college hoops right now.

Pitino became Louisville’s new coach on Wednesday, while Knight could get hired at Texas Tech on Friday. But neither one probably seriously considered UMass, to the chagrin of the Minutemen faithful.

Other candidates for the UMass job have fallen out of contention for various reasons. Jay Wright at Hofstra, the coaching prospect of the moment, has the inside track to replace Kevin Bannon at Rutgers.

Jeff Ruland, who could have gone to either UMass or Rhode Island, signed a lucrative long-term extension at Iona. Ralph Willard at Holy Cross, an early favorite at UMass, is being denied the chance to talk about any openings by his school’s athletic director. Gary Waters of Kent State told the Minutemen he’s not interested.

Published reports in Massachusetts say that Marcum wants to talk to some assistant coaches at schools that are still alive in the NCAA Tournament.

But for now, Baron and McCaffery are the only ones standing.

Certainly, Baron’s earned the right to interview for the opening. He’s been the Bonnies’ coach for nine years, and he’s rebuilt the once-dormant program into a competitor in the Atlantic 10.

After back-to-back postseason berths and 39 wins in the last two years, Baron’s marketability as a coach is at it’s peak. He’d be foolish not to talk to bigger, better-funded schools that are interested in him.

Keep in mind, he’s never expressed unhappiness with his current job. The 1977 Bona grad genuinely loves the school and the Olean area.

But loyalty isn’t a prison. Just because Baron likes it here doesn’t mean he can’t look at other jobs if he chooses.

UMass has no timetable for selecting a new coach, so the process could take a few more weeks.

And who knows what will happen in that time?

After all, look how much has gone down this past week.

all it the trickle-down effect. Or the domino theory. Whatever name you give to it, the first movement in a series of coaching openings and possible openings was felt yesterday when Rutgers fired Kevin Bannon and Iona signed Jeff Ruland to a long-term extension.

Both moves will have a residual effect on the University of Massachusetts's search for a replacement for Bruiser Flint.

Here's why.

Bannon's firing seemed to take Hofstra coach Jay Wright off the leaderboard at UMass, since it is widely believed that Wright will get the Rutgers job. But last night Wright said that while he had taken himself out of consideration for openings at La Salle and Rhode Island, he would still talk to UMass athletic director Bob Marcum.

''I talked to Jay for about an hour,'' said Marcum, who was juggling several balls on a very busy day. ''He said that he didn't want to make any commitment to coming and talking to us until he knew what was going on at Rutgers.''

While Wright may still wind up at Rutgers, there's a possibility he could work out a deal that would land him in Amherst.

Marcum's business yesterday was guiding St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron through a series of on-campus and off-campus meetings, which started at 7:30 a.m. in Amherst and ended at 7:30 p.m. in Boston with UMass president William Bulger.

''Jim impressed everyone,'' said Marcum, who will now do it all over again today with North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery.

McCaffery arrived in Amherst last night with his wife Margaret. He has become very popular in the past few days. Rhode Island, Duquesne, Drexel, Ohio University, and La Salle are all interested in him, but he made it clear that he considers UMass to be at the top of the list.

''I think it's a great job,'' said McCaffery, who would like to get the issue settled quickly so he can concentrate on recruiting - wherever he is.

Ruland was thought by some to be high on UMass's wish list as well, and with him and Wright out of contention, there is a possibility that a decision could come very soon.

''If it feels right, why go on?'' said Marcum, who hopes to get things wrapped up before the Final Four in Minneapolis next weekend but does not feel obligated to meet a specific deadline.

Marcum reportedly will call a few higher-profile people such as former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins and former South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler to see if they have any interest. He also will call George Mason coach Jim Larranaga and New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla.

Others he may contact include Kent State coach Gary Waters and Connecticut assistant head coach Dave Leitao, who was the top man at Northeastern from 1994-96.

There is a faction at UMass that wants Flint's successor to be a minority, but Marcum said finding the right fit for UMass supercedes everything else.

Flint will be in Pittsburgh today to interview for the Duquesne job and will go to Philadelphia Friday to interview at Drexel. Another possibility, though one Flint has thus far dismissed, could be working as an assistant to Rick Pitino once he decides where he wants to coach. Through intermediaries, Pitino has let it be known that he would strongly consider having Flint on his staff. Pitino is expected to give notice today to Louisville on whether he will fill its coaching vacancy ... Word has it that Tulsa coach Buzz Peterson will be the prime candidate to replace Jerry Green at Tennessee ... Northeastern athletic director Ian McCaw expects to start interviewing candidates next week. Flint is scheduled for a visit Monday ... With all the openings, don't be surprised if Providence coach Tim Welsh gets calls. A possibility is North Carolina State if Herb Sendek decides he wants to leave.

MHERST — More candidates seem to be exiting the University of Massachusetts men's basketball coaching derby than entering it, but a familiar Atlantic 10 face may have taken the early lead.

Sources said St. Bonaventure's Jim Baron interviewed impressively for the position yesterday, even as several other candidates were either taken off the board, or appeared unlikely to pursue it.

The list will probably grow again as more teams are eliminated from the NCAA tournament. North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery, whose stock has been rising this year, will interview for the job today.

But Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard, Iona's Jeff Ruland and Kent State's Gary Waters are all out of the picture, and Jay Wright, the highly-touted Hofstra coach, may soon be, too.

Wright has also been seen as a prime candidate at Rutgers, where Kevin Bannon was fired yesterday. Marcum spoke at length with Wright yesterday, but has not set up an appointment and is aware the Hofstra coach is leaning toward the Big East.

But if Rutgers doesn't make the call to Wright that everyone expects it to make, UMass could jump back in.

Sources say Waters has indicated he's not interested in UMass. And UMass seems disinterested in former Boston Celtics coach Chris Ford, whose agent made Ford's interest clear but has not received a return call.

Former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins is also attracting only mild interest from UMass.

Willard's decision at Holy Cross was made for him by athletic director Dick Regan, who said that Willard is under contract, and that Holy Cross would not be inclined to give permission for another school to talk to him. But Regan said he hasn't actually declined requests to talk to Willard, because no one has asked.

"I have not spoken with anyone at UMass," Regan said yesterday. He declined to specify the length of Willard's contract.

Also crossed off the UMass list was Ruland, who had also been considering Rhode Island.

Yesterday, Ruland signed an eight-year deal to stay at Iona. Aware of the pending long-term deal and Ruland's apparent interest in staying at his alma mater, UMass never contacted him.

While all this was going on elsewhere, Baron visited UMass for a job that could be worth in the $400,000 annual range if he's picked. The interview process included an hour with Chancellor David K. Scott, who will meet with McCaffery today and plans to talk to each hopeful.

"I rely on others to judge the coaching," said Scott, who says he will make the final decision. "I look at the (candidates') values, what they believe in and aspire to in their programs."

While Marcum is spearheading the search, Scott said representatives from the Athletic Council, Provost's office, trustees and some faculty will also be involved.

The UMass job became open last week when Bruiser Flint resigned under pressure. Flint has attracted interest from Drexel, La Salle, Northeastern and most recently Duquesne, where Darelle Porter resigned Friday.

According to sources, Duquesne is willing to put together a package including a $250,000 base salary, which would be more than Flint's $150,000 base salary at UMass. Today, Flint will become the first candidate to interview for the job.

But whether Flint could win quickly at Duquesne is another matter, and Flint wants to erase all doubts he can win. The Dukes were 23-64 in Porter's three years.

Flint would make less money but would have a better chance to win at Northeastern, where athletic director Ian McCaw is interested in him. Contact with La Salle has been made only informally to this point.

hile driving home from Boston Tuesday night, University of Massachusetts Athletic Director Bob Marcum declared the interview with St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron for the school's vacant men's basketball coaching position a success.

"I think it went fine," Marcum said. "I haven't talked to the other people that met with him. But Jim thought it went well. He saw we have a good job here. I think he feels we have the premier job in the conference."

University of North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery arrived in Amherst Tuesday night and will interview today.

Marcum and some senior members of the athletic administration met with Baron shortly after he arrived Monday night.

"We talked about expectations, compensation and graduation rates," Marcum said.

Marcum previously said he expected the overall financial value of the job to be worth between $350,000 and $400,000.

Baron, who has a 132-131 record at St. Bonaventure, including 70-52 in the past four years, had a full day Tuesday.

Marcum said Baron met with several people and groups, including Chancellor David Scott, members of the Court Club (UMass' basketball booster organization), the co-chairs of the athletic council, academic services, the business department and media relations staff.

Marcum and Baron then drove to Boston for a meeting with UMass president William Bulger and members of the board of trustees and the UMass foundation.

Marcum said McCaffery will have a similar agenda today.

While there was speculation by some people in western New York that Baron, a St. Bonaventure alum, was using the interview as leverage to improve his current contract, Marcum said he believes Baron's interest is genuine.

"I did not get that impression. That's a stock response that people say, but how do you really know?" Marcum said.

Baron was unavailable for comment.

Other than McCaffery, Marcum said no other immediate interviews have been set up, but that he is waiting for confirmations from other candidates for the next wave of interviews.

WEEKS ROOTING FOR BARON: One person rooting for Baron to get the UMass job is former Minuteman forward Tyrone Weeks, who is currently an assistant coach on Baron's staff at St. Bonaventure. If Baron comes to Amherst, Weeks likely would join him.

"I would love to come back and work in front of a lot of family and friends," said Weeks, who admitted he'd explored the possibility of becoming a UMass assistant no matter who the next coach is.

Weeks' wife Kim is from Springfield, and moving back to Amherst would allow her parents to see their grandson, Tyrone Jr., more often, Weeks said.

Beyond personal feelings, though, Weeks endorsed Baron's coaching ability.

"I think he'd be a good candidate. He's a good coach and a great person. He really sweats the job. He's in the office day and night trying to become a better coach and trying to make the team better."

WRIGHT IN LIMBO: Marcum spoke with Hofstra coach Jay Wright for an hour Tuesday, but the two didn't set up an interview. Marcum said that, despite some reports to the contrary, there was some interest on Wright's part.

"You don't call someone for an hour and just talk about the stock market," he said.

Wright has been mentioned prominently as a replacement at Rutgers for Kevin Bannon, who was fired Tuesday. Wright has long been rumored to be interested in a Big East job, a fact Marcum is well aware of.

"We'll have to wait and see," Marcum said. "Do I think the job at Rutgers is better than our job? Certainly not."

Former Seton Hall and NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo also has been talked about as a candidate at Rutgers.

Wright has declined to discuss any openings.

"I'm flattered that they would consider me," he told Newsday, referring to the UMass job. "It's a great university, a great program, but I'm not commenting on any jobs."

OTHER CANDIDATES: Marcum said Kent State coach Gary Waters isn't a candidate.

"Coach Waters said he is not interested in talking about any job openings at this time," Marcum said.

Names of two other successful mid-major-conference coaches have begun gathering steam in the rumor mill for the 26 open coaching positions in Division I - George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, who is a Providence grad and once had former Minuteman Derek Kellogg on his staff, and Southern Utah's Bill Evans, whose team nearly upset Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla's name has been brought up because of his friendship with Marcum, but Marcum dismissed those as just rumors.

"Fran is a good friend, but he's expressed absolutely no interest in our job," Marcum said. "He and I talk every once in a while and I hope this doesn't affect his situation at New Mexico."

Marcum said he is interested in some of the assistant coaches on the staffs of the 16 teams still alive in the NCAA Tournament. Twelve of those teams will exit this weekend, which could start the next wave of interviews.

"I'm still waiting on some candidates," Marcum said. "There could be some interesting developments this weekend."

FLINT TO DUQUESNE?: Former University of Massachusetts coach Bruiser Flint will interview for the vacant head coaching job at Atlantic 10 rival Duquesne today and then will speak with officials at Drexel Thursday. Flint is expected to interview at Northeastern, La Salle and possibly Rhode Island as well.

RULAND TO STAY: Iona coach Jeff Ruland, who was a considered a possible candidate for several openings, including the one at UMass, signed an extension Tuesday to remain at Iona.

fter a whirlwind day of interviews and meetings, culminating with a talk with University of Massachusetts president William Bulger, North Carolina-Greensboro basketball coach Fran McCaffery left Boston last night as the leading candidate to replace Bruiser Flint as the coach at UMass.

''He was very, very impressive,'' said UMass athletic director Bob Marcum, who stopped short of saying McCaffery would be offered the job.

George Mason coach Jim Larranga is scheduled to arrive in Boston today and an interview is scheduled early next week with Hofstra coach Jay Wright, although last night Marcum was trying to move up that interview to today or tomorrow.

Wright remains the top obstacle to McCaffery or anyone being offered the job. Marcum would like to convince Wright that UMass is a better job than Rutgers, which also is scheduled to talk to Wright.

It may come down to Atlantic 10 vs. Big East, which remains strongly in favor of the Big East. Add Wright's metropolitan New York ties and Rutgers would seem to have the edge.

If Wright says no to UMass, then McCaffery seems like the consensus choice, so much so that an announcement could be made by the end of the weekend.

McCaffery and his wife, Margaret, came to Amherst late Tuesday night after Marcum had spent the day interviewing St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron.

''[Baron an McCaffery] were both impressive in different ways,'' said Marcum. ''Jim has coached and won in the Atlantic 10 and knows the league. He has established himself and proven he can coach.

''Fran, with his experience and background, is a diamond in the rough. I think he did very, very well [in the interview process]. And he made it clear that he wants to come here.''

That is an important factor. As impressive as Wright, who turned Hofstra into an America East power the past few seasons, might be, it seems clear his first interest is the Rutgers job, which opened up when Kevin Bannon was fired.

McCaffery, who has turned UNC-Greensboro into an NCAA Tournament program in his two years at the school, came into the interview saying he had a vision of returning the Minutemen to national prominence.

He also expressed a desire to sell the program to the community. UMass officials felt Flint did not do that well enough.

The most-likely scenario is for Marcum to talk to other UMass officials today about how they will proceed in the next few days. Barring a sudden change of heart by Wright and any second thoughts by McCaffery, the whole thing could be done soon.

''We still have to talk to some people,'' said Marcum, ''but I would hope we could get this all settled by the end of next week.''

In McCaffery's case, speed seems to be of the essence; in the past few days, La Salle, Rhode Island, Duquesne, and Ohio University have all wanted to talk to him. But he has made it clear UMass is at the top of his list.

While UMass was doing its interviewing, Flint was in Pittsburgh listening to what Duquesne had to say. He will fly to Philadelphia to talk to Drexel and then head back to Massachusetts where he will meet Monday with Northeastern athletic director Ian McCaw. McCaw will bring in McNeese State coach Ron Everhart after Flint and is expected to talk to Ohio State assistant Paul Biancardi, UConn assistant Karl Hobbs, and former Celtics coach Chris Ford ... Ohio University will interview Boston College associate head coach Tim O'Shea today.

ran McCaffery yesterday became the second candidate to interview for UMass' vacant men's basketball coaching job, reportedly with impressive results.

``He's got a great background,'' said UMass athletic director Bob Marcum, who introduced the UNC-Greensboro coach to members of the Board of Trustees and university president William Bulger, a day after St. Bonaventure's Jim Baron met with the same group.

``I've been impressed with all of the places he's been,'' said Marcum, who does not anticipate making a decision in the next few days. ``I like the way he approaches the team, and how he would deal with it. He's worked under some good people in Digger (Phelps) and John McLeod.''

McCaffery, who was a longtime Notre Dame assistant under Phelps and McLeod, has been head coach at UNC-Greensboro for the last two years, and took the team to the NCAA tournament this season. The Spartans lost to Stanford in the first round of the West Regional last week.

McCaffery, who graduated from Penn's Wharton School of Business with a degree in economics and also has a master's degree in education from Lehigh - the site of his first head coaching job - used his background to great advantage yesterday.

McCaffery, who brought his wife Margaret along for the interviews, reportedly made a particularly effective presentation to Bulger and the university trustees, compared to Baron's more basic interview with the board.

He also struck a chord with the board once the conversation turned to business concepts and how they apply to running a basketball team - a display of sophistication that reportedly impressed the trustees.

McCaffery, who has also expressed considerable enthusiasm about the prospect of taking the UMass job, said he is limiting his opportunities.

``I'm not pursuing a lot of openings out of respect for the (UNC-Greensboro) program and the players I have now, but there were some that I wanted to explore,'' he said.

``But obviously a program of this caliber would excite any coach,'' he said. ``I'm excited and honored. John Calipari had some phenomenal teams here, and Bruiser (Flint) had some good seasons, too.''

In an apparent escalation in the chase for coaching help, officials from Rhode Island reportedly contacted Baron about its opening. URI was jolted this week by the news that Jeff Ruland signed an eight-year extension with Iona.

Rhode Island has also reportedly received a positive response from Kent State coach Gary Waters, who told Marcum on Tuesday that he wasn't interested in the UMass job.

MHERST — As the University of Massachusetts men's basketball program scrambles to keep its place on the national scene, Fran McCaffery has made it clear he doesn't believe in downsized expectations.

"Obviously, a program of this caliber would excite any coach," McCaffery said as he visited Amherst, becoming the second coach to interview for the vacant Minutemen's job. "They've had great players here, and great teams. They were an also-ran in their own conference in the 1980s, but they've become a national power."

McCaffery's enthusiasm in pursuing the UMass job has been clear since he guided North Carolina-Greensboro to the NCAA tournament as Southern Conference champion this season. A first-round West Regional loss to Stanford only served to hasten the process that brought McCaffery to Amherst.

Yesterday, he met with athletic director Bob Marcum and other officials.

"I'm excited and honored by this opportunity," McCaffery said. "I'm not pursuing a lot of openings, out of respect for the players and program at UNC-Greensboro.

"But there are some I've wanted to explore," he said. "This is one of them."

McCaffery is a 1982 Penn graduate who was a head coach at Lehigh and an assistant at Notre Dame. He has emerged as a strong UMass candidate if only because the only other coach to visit is St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron, who came Tuesday.

Other candidates may surface, especially from the ranks of assistant coaches. But with it becoming increasingly likely that a decision could come by early April, McCaffery and Baron are obviously serious candidates to replace Bruiser Flint, who resigned under pressure March 12.

UMass appears out of the running for Hofstra coach Jay Wright. Yesterday, Rutgers officially contacted Hofstra for permission to speak with Wright, whose first preference is the Big East school.

As McCaffery was coming to Amherst, Baron's name also cropped up in another job search — at Rhode Island, where the school spent the early part of its search in a futile chase for a national name. Rick Pitino, Bob Knight, John Calipari and Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy were all contacted, and none were interested.

Suddenly Baron, who made a good impression on UMass officials Tuesday, finds himself in demand. McCaffery's name has also popped up on some other schools' lists, and he'll interview at La Salle today, but UMass sounds like his first choice.

"I've followed the program over the years with interest," said McCaffery, who has been in Greensboro two years. "John Calipari had some phenomenal years, and Bruiser had some good seasons, too."

That sort of talk is music to the ears of UMass fans who don't want to forfeit the national prominence of the 1990s.

Some new candidates may still emerge. New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla continues to be mentioned, and the name of George Mason's Jim Larranaga, a former American International College coach, has cropped up.

Flint, meanwhile, interviewed at Duquesne yesterday, and has visits lined up to Drexel and Northeastern in the next few days.

"I'm flattered Duquesne wants to talk to me about it," Flint said. "I've read they're going to make a real hard financial commitment to the program. I think the first step of getting to the NCAA or NIT is financial commitment."

Flint said he wanted to explore the scope of that commitment, in addition to aspects such as academic support services.

nterview No. 2 for the vacant University of Massachusetts men's basketball coaching position went off without a hitch, as North Carolina-Greensboro coach Fran McCaffery met with school administrators in Amherst and Boston and toured the campus Wednesday.

McCaffery followed a similar itinerary to that of St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron, who interviewed for the position Tuesday, except that McCaffery met with Chancellor David K. Scott in Boston instead of Amherst.

McCaffery liked what he saw.

"I was very impressed with the campus, the facility and the people," he said. "I'm very excited about the opportunity, should I be offered."

UMass Athletic Director Bob Marcum, who had never met McCaffery prior to Wednesday, was pleased by McCaffery's presentation.

"I think he has a great background," Marcum said. "Being at Notre Dame certainly helped him. He's from Philly. He went to Penn. He did a good job at Lehigh."

McCaffery, who is 42, led UNC-Greensboro to a 19-12 record and the Southern Conference tournament title this year. As a No. 16 seed, the Spartans fell to top-seed Stanford, 89-60, March 15.

McCaffery is 89-64 in his career as a head coach. He was the nation's youngest sideline boss when he took over at Lehigh at age 26 in 1985. He led the Mountain Hawks to a 39-29 record in three seasons, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1988. He is the only coach at Lehigh since 1932 to have a winning record, a list that includes former Princeton legend Pete Carril.

McCaffery left the Mountain Hawks to become an assistant at Notre Dame, where he served under Digger Phelps and then John MacLeod. Interestingly, the assistant coach he replaced at Notre Dame was Baron, who left for St. Bonaventure. McCaffery returned to head coaching last year at UNC-Greensboro.

McCaffery is in demand. He has an interview at La Salle Thursday. He's been contacted by Ohio University and also was told that Rhode Island was interested. He said, however, that either school would be playing catch-up to UMass.

"They would be hard-pressed to outdo what I saw today," McCaffery said. "I was very impressed with everything."

Insiders' Report, a Web site that focuses on recruiting, reported that UMass could hire McCaffery by the end of the week. When asked about it, Marcum just laughed.

McCaffery said he expects the decision to be made soon.

"It seems like things are moving along pretty rapidly," he said. "I don't think they want to drag it out too much longer than next week."

BARON RESPONDS: St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron was reluctant to say much about his Tuesday interview at the University of Massachusetts, but what he did say was positive.

"It went fine," he said. "I don't want to get too into it because I'm still working here. But I was very impressed with the people up there."

Baron's name has begun to surface at Rhode Island as well.

WRIGHT UPDATE: Hofstra coach Jay Wright has agreed to interview at UMass, according to the Newark (N.J.) Star Ledger, but remains a leading candidate at Rutgers, which dismissed coach Kevin Bannon Tuesday. The same article said Wright had turned down offers to interview at Rhode Island and La Salle.

Marcum said that the article isn't entirely accurate.

"We don't have an interview set up right now," he said. "He was interested, but then the Rutgers thing opened so we'll have to wait and see."

OTHER CANDIDATES: Marcum confirmed that he asked for and received permission to talk with George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, but that they have yet to speak. Marcum said he plans to contact one other head coach, whom he declined to name, for an interview. He added that he plans to talk with some assistants as well.

FLINT UPDATE: Former Minuteman coach Bruiser Flint interviewed Wednesday at Duquesne and was pleased with the way it went.

"They talked about making a huge commitment to being successful, which they haven't done in the past," Flint said. "They said we're going to give you the tools to be successful."

Flint reportedly is Duquesne's top choice, a feeling that was relayed to him.

"They said they have a list, but they're not bringing anybody else in for an interview this time," Flint said.

Flint is interviewing at Drexel today and at Northeastern Monday.

ATLANTIC 10 OPENINGS: The A-10's list of vacancies might increase, as Xavier coach Skip Prosser's name has popped up in connection with several openings nationally, including one at Michigan. Currently, A-10 positions are open at UMass, URI, La Salle and Duquesne.

REENSBORO -- UNCG basketball coach Fran McCaffery returned from an interview at Massachusetts Wednesday night and is off to talk with La Salle today.

McCaffery said Massachusetts made no offer and is still talking with other candidates. Jim Baron of St. Bonaventure is also known to have interviewed. Jay Wright of Hofstra is also thought to be high on the school's list.

"I think they want to move relatively quickly," McCaffery said. "I think they'll decide if I'm who they want within a week and then I'll be able to make a decision. Right now there's no decision to make because I have no idea what they'll offer in terms of a package."

He met an array of people at Massachusetts, including the chancellor of the Amherst campus and the president of the consolidated system. He and his wife, Margaret, toured the campus with its 9,000-seat basketball facility.

Massachusetts plays in the Atlantic 10 Conference and, McCaffery said, has made a strong commitment to being competitive. In 1996, under John Calipari, the team made the Final Four. After he left for the NBA, and later for Memphis, things dropped off under former assistant Bruiser Flint, who went 86-72 in five seasons, including 15-15 this year.

La Salle is also a member of the Atlantic 10 but is a much smaller school. It fired long-time coach Speedy Morris after his eighth straight losing season. La Salle is a Catholic school located in McCaffery's native Philadelphia. He attended La Salle College High School, which is closely connected to the university.

McCaffery said it won't be an easy decision if he is offered another job. He has spent two years at UNCG, compiling records of 15-13 and 19-12. This year's team won the Southern Conference tournament and lost to Stanford in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Most of this year's team returns next season, and it will be bolstered by the return of junior forward James Maye and redshirt freshman forward Tizzo Johnson, both of whom sat out with injuries.

"I love this team and this place," McCaffery said. "Any other place would have to be right for Margaret and the boys (his two sons). Massachusetts is in a high profile conference with a big budget and it's exciting to see the potential. But as I said when I took this job, I'm very comfortable staying here for a long time."