Pistons' Lowe says he's interested in returning to N.C. State

RALEIGH, N.C. - Detroit Pistons assistant coach Sidney Lowe, one of the stars of North Carolina State&#39;s 1983 national championship team, says he&#39;s interested in returning to coach the Wolfpack.<br> <br> ``Yeah, one day,&#39;&#39; Lowe told The News Observer of Raleigh. ``I&#39;d definitely have interest in it one day. It&#39;s something I would hope would happen.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> N.C. State has been searching for the past month for a replacement for Herb Sendek, who left after 10 seasons to coach Arizona State. The school has unsuccessfully courted several high-profile coaches, including Memphis coach John Calipari and Texas&#39; Rick Barnes, and just last week was turned down by John Beilein of West Virginia and former UCLA coach Steve Lavin.<br> <br> Now, Lowe, 46, is being mentioned as a candidate, but he says he&#39;s not focusing on the N.C. State job as his Pistons chase a second NBA title in three years.<br> <br> ``My mind-set is totally on the Detroit Pistons and winning another championship,&#39;&#39; Lowe said. ``That&#39;s the only thing I&#39;m concerned with at this time.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Lowe still owns a house in Raleigh and says he had a ``general discussion&#39;&#39; with NCSU athletics director Lee Fowler about other candidates.<br> <br> Lowe does not have a bachelor&#39;s degree from an accredited four-year institution, as N.C. State has said it will require of its next coach. Lowe said he is completing his studies this month ``at a very credible university&#39;&#39; that he declined to name.<br> <br> Lowe played four seasons in the NBA before moving on to coaching, rising to become the head coach at Minnesota and Memphis. He has a career record of 79-228 and resigned at Memphis after the team&#39;s 0-8 start in to the 2002-2003 season.<br> <br> Lowe has never coached in college, but said he believes the transition wouldn&#39;t be difficult since NBA teams also track the best high-school players.<br> <br> ``We have as many contacts with AAU coaches and high school coaches as they do on the collegiate level,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Fowler told The News Observer that he is focusing on candidates with head coaching experiences, but declined to discuss specific people.<br> <br> ``I have not looked at anyone without head coaching experience. We have not looked at any who have only been assistants.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Fowler added, ``I guess that means Phil Ford.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Ford, a star player and then an assistant coach at rival North Carolina who is now an assistant with the New York Knicks, was mentioned as a candidate for the job last week.<br> <br> Fowler acknowledged that the search for his first major hire since becoming the school&#39;s athletics director in 2000 has been tedious because of extended negotiations with candidates and their representatives.<br> <br> ``We&#39;ve talked contracts with a couple of guys,&#39;&#39; he said. ``But you get to the point where you think you&#39;re about to hire, then they tell you to talk to their agent. Then the agent has a lawyer. Coaches are layered with agents, lawyers and accountants who all want something else in the contract.<br> <br> ``Some (candidates) don&#39;t mention a buyout until you start to get serious. They don&#39;t mention (potential problems) on the front end.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Last week, N.C. State was rumored to be close to a deal to hire Beilein, but Beilein&#39;s contract with the Mountaineers included a $3 million buyout provision.<br> <br> Information from: The News Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com<br> <br> (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)