SALT LAKE CITY -- University of Utah athletic director Chris
Hill is being tightlipped about the process to replace men's
basketball coach Rick Majerus.
Hill said Monday that there is no timeframe in which to name a
successor to Majerus, who left the team for health reasons in
midseason.
Hill had earlier said the process wouldn't start until the end
of the season, which came Friday when the Utes (24-9) lost 58-51 to
Boston College in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
A. Lorris Betz, the university's interim president, and Hill
will select the new coach.
"We're in the process of identifying people," Hill said when
declining to elaborate.
Hill also would not confirm or deny whether interim coach Kerry
Rupp is a candidate.
The 50-year-old assistant took over as interim coach at Majerus'
departure. A veteran of 24 years coaching at Utah high schools,
Rupp joined Utah as an assistant three years ago.
In his 52 days as interim coach, Rupp led Utah to a 9-4 record,
the Mountain West Conference postseason tournament championship and
a berth in the NCAA tournament.
"I thought Kerry did a wonderful job in a difficult
situation," Hill said Monday, without saying if it was enough to
give him the job.
The overweight Majerus felt chest pains late Jan. 27 and flew
from Salt Lake City to Southern California for treatment by his
cardiologist. The next day, Utah announced Majerus would resign at
the end of the season; later he said he would not return at all.