Wolfpack still looking for Sendek's successor

RALEIGH, N.C. - Nate McMillan insists he isn&#39;t a candidate. Apparently, neither is Rick Barnes.<br> <br> Nearly a week after Herb Sendek left for Arizona State, his old job at North Carolina State is still open, and the search presumably continued Friday. Athletic director Lee Fowler, through a school spokeswoman, declined an interview request.<br> <br> Sendek was 191-132 in 10 seasons with the Wolfpack, and he led them to appearances in the NCAA tournament during each of his final five seasons. That tied the late Jim Valvano for the best run in school history.<br> <br> McMillan, who played for Valvano from 1985-86, is completing his first season as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He finds it amusing that his name came up as a possible replacement for Sendek among Internet gossips.<br> <br> ``I know people in North Carolina who are shocked,&#39;&#39; he said with a laugh. ``It is cool to be considered, but that won&#39;t be happening.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Another name that surfaced was that of Barnes, a North Carolina native who has coached Texas since 1998. The Longhorns have gone to the NCAA tournament in eight consecutive years since he arrived.<br> <br> This week, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said Barnes would be offered a raise. He made $1.3 million this season, along with a bonus of more than $200,000 for reaching the Atlanta Regional final.<br> <br> Barnes&#39; contract also includes an automatic annual $50,000 raise, and he has said repeatedly he isn&#39;t interested in leaving the Longhorns.<br> <br> ``Whoever takes the North Carolina State job has to look at the Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski factor,&#39;&#39; CBS college basketball analyst Billy Packer said. ``A guy who is in another part of the country certainly is not going to make a lateral move.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Indeed, being within 30 miles of Williams&#39; program at North Carolina and Coach K&#39;s at Duke is a big part of the challenge for the next N.C. State coach. Sendek was 8-38 against those two during his tenure he also was 9-16 against Wake Forest, the other in-state Atlantic Coast Conference opponent and his final year was punctuated with more losses to them.<br> <br> One came to the Demon Deacons in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament, the Wolfpack&#39;s second loss in less than a week to their rival. As Sendek left the court following the game, he reportedly had an angry exchange with a fan seated near the tunnel to the locker room.<br> <br> It was part of the dissatisfaction many felt with Sendek despite his overall success.<br> <br> ``I was there at the ACC Tournament and I could feel the negativity around with all the alumni and everybody,&#39;&#39; former N.C. State star David Thompson told the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Telegram.<br> <br> ``If you look back on the season as a whole, they won 20-something games but the games they lost aren&#39;t really the ones that would make alumni happy.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> There were a couple of other reasons often cited for the unrest, including Sendek&#39;s personality and his reliance on a Princeton-like offense. He recruited players who fit the system, which featured lots of motion, lots of passing and lots of 3-pointers.<br> <br> Dan Werner, one of three N.C. State recruits signed by Sendek for next season, chose the Wolfpack for the chance to play in this offense. The new coach might have trouble keeping the 6-foot-7 forward.<br> <br> ``The system was the most important thing to him when making his decision,&#39;&#39; said Dave Telep, the national basketball recruiting director for Scout.com. ``I think he is the one guy who is watching this maybe closer than the others.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> And what about the lack of support Sendek received from those who should have been his most loyal enthusiasts? Will that scare away anyone?<br> <br> ``Nobody is going to be bothered by that, at least the person who&#39;s hired won&#39;t be,&#39;&#39; Packer said. ``If somebody is bothered by that, he shouldn&#39;t be a candidate anyway. You&#39;ve got to be more competitive than that.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/4/112796