AshevilleApp2
April 2nd, 2009, 02:08 PM
From the Greensboro News and Record
Buzz Peterson offered App State hoops job
Thursday, April 2
CHARLOTTE (AP) — Nine years after leaving Appalachian State, Buzz Peterson is considering a return.
The Charlotte Bobcats director of player personnel said today he's been offered the coaching job, but hasn't decided whether to accept.
"We are still negotiating," Peterson said.
Peterson spent four seasons at Appalachian before leaving in 2000 for Tulsa. Peterson later coached Tennessee, but was fired in 2005 after four seasons.
He then coached Coastal Carolina for two years before accepting a front office job with the Bobcats offered by part-owner Michael Jordan, Peterson's college roommate at North Carolina.
Peterson would replace Houston Fancher, his former assistant at Appalachian who was promoted when Peterson left. Fancher was ousted last month with one year left on his contract.
"We're not going to comment on any of the candidates," school spokesman Mike Flynn said.
The 45-year-old Peterson went 79-39 in his first stint at Appalachian State. In his last season at the Boone, N.C., school in 1999-2000, the Mountaineers went 23-9, won the Southern Conference title and lost to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
But Appalachian State's only postseason appearance under Fancher came in the 2007 NIT, and the program fell well behind powerhouse Davidson in the SoCon.
The Mountaineers went 13-18 this season and lost to Davidson in the tournament quarterfinals in Fancher's fifth losing season. He went 137-136 in nine years.
Peterson is 201-134 as a head coach, won the 2001 NIT title at Tulsa, and has name recognition that would help with recruiting.
An Asheville, N.C., native, Peterson beat out Jordan to win North Carolina's high school player of the year award in 1981 before they became teammates with the Tar Heels. They became close friends and roommates and won the national title as freshmen.
The chance to work with Jordan lured him out of coaching in 2007. Peterson has run the Bobcats' scouting department for the past two years and is heavily involved with the NBA draft.
But shortly after taking that job, Peterson refused to say he wouldn't return to the bench.
Appalachian is eager to boost a basketball program that has lagged well behind its powerhouse football team, which won three consecutive Football Championship Subdivision titles before losing in the semifinals last season.
Buzz Peterson offered App State hoops job
Thursday, April 2
CHARLOTTE (AP) — Nine years after leaving Appalachian State, Buzz Peterson is considering a return.
The Charlotte Bobcats director of player personnel said today he's been offered the coaching job, but hasn't decided whether to accept.
"We are still negotiating," Peterson said.
Peterson spent four seasons at Appalachian before leaving in 2000 for Tulsa. Peterson later coached Tennessee, but was fired in 2005 after four seasons.
He then coached Coastal Carolina for two years before accepting a front office job with the Bobcats offered by part-owner Michael Jordan, Peterson's college roommate at North Carolina.
Peterson would replace Houston Fancher, his former assistant at Appalachian who was promoted when Peterson left. Fancher was ousted last month with one year left on his contract.
"We're not going to comment on any of the candidates," school spokesman Mike Flynn said.
The 45-year-old Peterson went 79-39 in his first stint at Appalachian State. In his last season at the Boone, N.C., school in 1999-2000, the Mountaineers went 23-9, won the Southern Conference title and lost to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
But Appalachian State's only postseason appearance under Fancher came in the 2007 NIT, and the program fell well behind powerhouse Davidson in the SoCon.
The Mountaineers went 13-18 this season and lost to Davidson in the tournament quarterfinals in Fancher's fifth losing season. He went 137-136 in nine years.
Peterson is 201-134 as a head coach, won the 2001 NIT title at Tulsa, and has name recognition that would help with recruiting.
An Asheville, N.C., native, Peterson beat out Jordan to win North Carolina's high school player of the year award in 1981 before they became teammates with the Tar Heels. They became close friends and roommates and won the national title as freshmen.
The chance to work with Jordan lured him out of coaching in 2007. Peterson has run the Bobcats' scouting department for the past two years and is heavily involved with the NBA draft.
But shortly after taking that job, Peterson refused to say he wouldn't return to the bench.
Appalachian is eager to boost a basketball program that has lagged well behind its powerhouse football team, which won three consecutive Football Championship Subdivision titles before losing in the semifinals last season.