Brady says he wants to stay at LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. - LSU basketball coach John Brady hopes to take another team to the Final Four next season. And he hopes it will be the Tigers.<br> <br> In the third year of a five-year contract worth $715,000 a year, which ranks among the lowest salaries among Southeastern Conference men&#39;s coaches, Brady said he would like to see some changes, however.<br> <br> ``I&#39;m not pursuing other jobs, but I&#39;m in no hurry to decide anything right now,&#39;&#39; Brady said. ``I&#39;m confident that the people who make those decisions will take care of them. My only request is to be dealt with fairly in terms of salary and a strong commitment to the basketball program.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Brady said he has a lot going for him at LSU, including family ties to the area, a good staff and momentum going into next year after making this year&#39;s Final Four.<br> <br> ``I am very aware of what I have and I appreciate what people have done for me to this point.&#39;&#39; Brady said. ``But I also look at what other coaches have done and how they&#39;ve been compensated, and I want to move forward in a fair and responsible way,&#39;&#39;<br> <br> LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman was in Boston at the women&#39;s Final Four on Sunday and had not returned Monday<br> <br> On March 15, Bertman said he had twice spoken to Brady about the coach&#39;s contract. The second discussion was before the SEC tournament and Bertman said he offered Brady a new contract.<br> <br> ``As far as I&#39;m concerned, John is going to be our coach for a long time,&#39;&#39; Bertman said at the time.<br> <br> At the time, Brady said he told Bertman he wanted to wait to discuss his contract after the season.<br> <br> Brady, who just finished his ninth season at LSU, said he is open to discussions with other schools.<br> <br> ``If another school made a serious run and offered me something that I thought was fair for me, I&#39;d take a look at it,&#39;&#39; Brady said. ``But what I&#39;m not going to do is manufacture something to make somebody listen to me. I will never play one school against another.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Information from: The Advocate, http://www.theadvocate.com<br> <br> (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)