By Max Sass, Sports Editor

Reports that St. John’s University had decided to fire men’s basketball head coach Norm Roberts surfaced on March 11. Fordham University fired head coach Dereck Whittenburg in late November and interim head coach Jared Grasso has been in limbo since.

One of the rumored top contenders for each of the jobs is Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora. Pecora has accumulated 155 wins in his nine years in charge of the Pride. Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez was fired early Wednesday as well, and Pecora could be a candidate for that job as well.

Pecora’s predecessor was Jay Wright, currently the head coach at the Villanova University. Pecora has also signed three recruits to letters of intents for the 2010-11 season.
Joe DiBari, the Sports Information Director for men’s basketball at Fordham University said,

“I don’t think at this point we are ready to make a statement on anyone in particular.”
Representatives from St. John’s athletic department told The Chronicle that the men’s basketball program is on the road and no one would be available to comment. St. John’s is currently playing in the NIT.

The Chronicle asked Pecora, “Is there any interest in either of the jobs?”

“The one thing is, I never talk about other jobs while our season is still going on. I am in a business where I have been lucky enough and as a university we have been lucky enough to have enough success where that does become an issue most springs. So right now I am the coach at Hofstra University, St. John’s University has a coach and Fordham is going to start looking for a coach but they obviously have not contacted me or Hofstra University yet,” Pecora said.

Hofstra men’s basketball coach Tom Pecora spoke to The Chronicle about other jobs he is rumored to be a candidate for. (Sean M. Gates/ The Chronicle)