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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cravens Mulls Next Move As He Copes With Firing

Jim Meehan Staff Writer

Joe Cravens essentially had a job offer within hours of losing the men’s basketball coaching position at the University of Idaho.

Rod Baker, an old friend, wanted Cravens as an assistant at Cal-Irvine. Cravens is considering the position, but doesn’t know if it’s financially practical.

Cravens also has applied for the head coaching job at Southern Oregon State College, an NAIA Division II school in Ashland. He’s one of 13 remaining candidates. Again, Cravens isn’t sure if it’s a good fit or not.

“I have no problem, No. 1, going to a smaller school as a head coach or being an assistant coach again, but I’m trying to do what’s best for my family,” Cravens said.

He spends considerable time grappling with the lingering anger over his dismissal, which he believes was decided with weeks remaining in the regular season by athletic director Pete Liske and interim president Tom Bell.

“I’m still coping with it,” Cravens said.

The Cravens’ have sold their house in Moscow and his last paycheck will arrive in two months. He knows he needs to find employment, but he’s not sure what he’s looking for.

Does he want to stay in coaching? Yes. Should he wait for something else to break?

SOSC’s job also would involve teaching P.E. classes. The salary range is expected to be $35,000-$40,000, roughly the same as Irvine’s offer. SOSC offers one scholarship.

Losing the job at Idaho “has brought us to a real crossroads of not only my career, but our lives,” Cravens said.

Adams applies

Mark Adams can probably commiserate with Cravens over the hazards - sometimes unmarked ones - of the coaching profession.

Adams is the former Central Connecticut State coach who can make a pretty convincing case that he was fired because his A.D. wanted to hire a buddy.

Adams has applied for several jobs, including North Idaho College, where he’ll interview on Monday. He also applied at SOSC.

Like Cravens, Adams is one of SOSC’s 13 “quarterfinalists.”

Phillips shuffle

If you watched the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday, you probably listened to countless analysts rave about the size and speed of the defensive ends and linebackers selected.

So remember this: Idaho’s Ryan Phillips is 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, and he ran two sub-4.6 40-yard sprints for scouts a month ago.

Playing mostly defensive end, Phillips was the Big Sky Conference defensive player of the year in 1995. This year, as a senior, he moves to Dave Longoria’s old spot at “whip” linebacker.

“He moved around last year, too,” defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. “If you watched us on film, he’s playing some of the same positions.

“He’s going to be one of those type of linebackers at the next level, a rush linebacker. He’s fast and the only question is can he play in space and be instinctive, which is what he’s getting better and better at.”

Still in the running

Arkansas’ Jesse Pate, Idaho’s high-profile basketball recruit, is expected to visit Moscow on the second weekend in May. Pate said he has five suitors: Idaho, Fresno State, Oklahoma, Memphis and Southern Mississippi. Former Washington State coach Kelvin Sampson is at Oklahoma and ex-UI assistant James Green is the new coach at Southern Mississippi. Pate insists Idaho is in the running.

, DataTimes