Sadler Confirmed As Cornhusker Coach; UTEP Looks At Replacements
EL PASO, TX.- Doc Sadler is no longer the head basketball coach at UTEP, he’s now the man in charge at the University of Nebraska.
ABC-7 brought the live news conference from Lincoln, Nebraska early Tuesday afternoon, as Sadler was officially introduced.
Sadler confirmed lateMonday night that he met with Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson in Denver to discuss the school’s vacant head basketball coaching position.
Sadler interviewed with the AD twice over the last few days, and he leaves UTEP as the school’s most successful coach, in terms of winning percentage.
He spent 4 years in El Paso, 2 as an assistant under Billy Gillispie and then 2 as the head coach.
In those two seasons at the helm, topped 20 wins and led the Miners to the NCAA and then the NIT.
Sadler called Tuesday the most exciting day of his life and he thankedhis family for being his backbone.
With the coach’s apparent departure, for the second time in about 27 months UTEPfinds itself looking for a new basketball coach.
ABC-7 Darren Hunt spoke with El Pasoan, former Minerand former Arkansas national championship coach Nolan Richardson. Mr. Richardsontells ABC-7that coaching atUTEP would be “a possibility he would entertain.”
Richardson, who was fired by the Razorbacks in 2003, toldABC-7 he has about a year and a half left on his settlement with Arkansas, worth approximately $500,000.Nebraska is expected topay $250,000 to UTEP, per a buyout clause for Coach Sadler, but they say it’s worth every penny.
Among the other potential candidates is former Arizona State and New Mexico State assistant Tony Benford, who was hired at UTEP a couple of weeks ago.
Mr. Benford and other assistants spent the day in theUTEP Basketball Offices contacting recruits and trying to get them to stay committed to the program, despite Coach Sadler’s departure.
The Miners start practices just over two months from now, soUTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull, will have to move quickly to replace Coach Sadler.
