Arizona Moves Fast In Naming Interim Coach

Man, that was fast!

The Wildcats announced today that assistant coach Russ Pennell will take over as interim coach just 24 hours after Lute Olson announced his retirement.

Associate head coach Mike Dunlap was originally offered the top job, but turned it down. Dunlap will keep his current position along with assistant coach and former Wildcats player Reggie Geary.

“Russ is a veteran assistant coach with a wealth of coaching experience,” Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood said in a statement. “His experience of working in three of the best basketball conferences in the nation will serve us well.”

According to a story today by Andy Katz at ESPN.com, Pennell was most recently an AAU coach in Phoenix and a radio broadcaster for ASU. Before that, Pennell was on Arizona State’s staff for eight seasons, but that didn’t end well.

Katz also reported that Pennell wasn’t retained by ASU coach Rob Evans. According to multiple sources close to the ASU program, Pennell was not brought back primarily because of a disagreement with Evans on his job performance. Pennell had been on Evans’ staff at Ole Miss prior coming with him to Arizona State.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me,” Pennell said in a statement. “I look forward to the challenge of leading this program. As the son of a former coach and one who has spent his life around the game of basketball, I’m humbled to get a chance to lead such a storied program.”

The Wildcats still have to decide whether or not Pennell is the coach for them for the long run or does the school do a nationwide search for a high profile college or NBA coach once the season is over?

The University of Arizona has called a news conference for 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday to explain some of this madness.