Ewu’S Aggers Says Nothing’S Happened

Amid a flurry of news reports that claim he will become the next men’s basketball coach at Loyola Marymount, Eastern Washington’s Steve Aggers denies having received any kind of offer from the West Coast Conference school.

Aggers, when reached by telephone late Friday night in Indianapolis, where he is attending the NCAA Final Four, admitted, however, he met with LMU athletic director Bill Husak again in Indianapolis.

And he said he could not rule out the possibility of reaching some kind of agreement with Husak in the near future.

“We really haven’t gotten to the point where we’re ready to make any kind of decision,” Aggers said. “That’s not to say that in the next week something won’t happen, but at this time, I’m still at Eastern and I’m looking forward to watching the Final Four.”

Aggers said reports of the deal having already been done were probably the result of Metro State coach Mike Dunlap having removed his name from consideration earlier this week.

Dunlap, who led his team to this year’s NCAA Division II championship, was considered to be LMU’s top choice and visited the campus Tuesday. Aggers has not yet visited the school.

“Everyone was pretty sure it was myself and Mike for that position,” Aggers explained, “and when he withdrew his name from contention I guess people automatically assumed I was hired.

“All it did, though, was move me up. But I’m not going to accept or decline a job without visiting the school and meeting the president of the university.”

When asked if he planned on flying to L.A. from Indianapolis, Aggers said only that his plane ticket was for Spokane.

One local television station, citing unnamed sources in Indianapolis, reported Aggers would be introduced as LMU’s new coach early next week.

“The only sources that matter are Bill Husak and me,” Aggers said, “and at this point in time, we have not reached any conclusions. But again, things could change in the next four, five or six days.”