With the Texas Southern University athletic director and men’s coaching search nearing a close, there was still plenty of activity on Tuesday, with an expected decision 24 hours away.
It’s highly anticipated that TSU President J.W. Crawford is set to present Seton Hall University basketball assistant coach Corey Lowery as Johnny Jones’ replacement and Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson to fill the vice president of athletics position that Kevin Granger formerly held.
A vote is expected by the TSU Board of Regents on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. on the 5th floor of the school’s library.
But things got really interesting Tuesday with the Board’s athletics subcommittee meeting to feel out if enough of the eight-member Board of Regents will vote with Chairman James Benham and Crawford for their preferred candidates. Shortly after the subcommittee meeting, the University issued a press release stating that Crawford will introduce the two hires on Wednesday afternoon at a 2 p.m. press conference at H&PE Arena.
While all of that was going on, several of the men’s basketball players, some students, and alumni protested around campus, holding up handmade signs, and they ended up at the president’s office. According to a source who was in the room, Crawford invited the student athletes into his office and opened the floor to them.
All but one of the players are said to have expressed themselves during the closed-door conversation. The players, especially those recruited by interim head coach Shyrone Chatman this past spring, are in favor of keeping the coach who brought them in.
Crawford is said to have listened and then informed the players that he is sticking with his choice of Lowery as the next head coach. The players felt Crawford was being less than honest about the timing, his personal knowledge of Lowery, and whether Chatman always knew he wasn’t getting the job that he had interviewed for with Crawford.
Those in favor of Chatman tout his time as an assistant coach at UMass and Memphis under John Calipari, his four NCAA Tournament appearances under Mike Davis and Jones at TSU, and the three NCAA Tournament first-round wins the Tigers had with him on the bench.
According to his bio on the Seton Hall website, Lowery has not been part of a program that has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in his 27 years of coaching.
Apparently, the players do have some options. They could not play this upcoming season and get the year of eligibility because of the changes. The NCAA allows student-athletes up to 15 days after a new hire is made to enter the transfer portal and move on without issue. They could also remain and play for the coach they have protested against.
Without the eight transfers, Lowery would have only five players on the roster unless they bolt, too.
Chatman also could be without a job despite having gone above and beyond to keep some of the players after Jones left to become an assistant coach at LSU this spring. Chatman restocked the roster with eight new recruits, worked the players out all summer, and put together a revenue-generating non-conference schedule that will net the school nearly $800,000 and with a rare six home games.
This has all become messy due to the timing. TSU started classes on Monday, and just days before they arrived on campus, they found out that Chatman would not be coaching them as they and their families had expected.
Naturally, emotions have been high as the parents and players have sought answers from the president’s office. The players and their families, especially of the eight new recruits, feel betrayed because they felt Chatman would be their coach this upcoming season, even though he carries the interim tag.
In the meantime, there has been continued conversation about Lowery and the likely NCAA violation he committed by contacting TSU players after being offered the job by Crawford, but before his hire became official by Board vote and while he was still employed by Seton Hall.
The Defender obtained an email exchange between TSU player Karris Bilal and Lowery from Sunday, Aug. 9, in which Lowery requested information about the players currently on the roster. That is considered tampering, which could be a secondary NCAA infraction.
A source said that Lowery is set to speak with the NCAA on Wednesday.
Also still hanging in the balance is the vice president of athletics role, which is expected to go to Robinson. But there has still been a groundswell of support from alumni for hiring longtime NFL executive and TSU graduate Tony Wyllie.
It doesn’t seem likely that anything will change unless neither candidate gets the votes from the Board of Regents to be hired. Lowery is said to have been in town since the weekend.
But calls from the Defender to Lowery, Wyllie, Chatman, and Robinson were not returned. Calls and emails to officials at Seton Hall to find out Lowery’s employment status also were not returned.
If hired, both Lowery and Robinson will ink five-year deals with $350,000 base salaries.
