Reports: Leitao next Virginia coach

[ChiTownBull]

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- DePaul's Dave Leitao reportedly will be Virginia's next basketball coach, with a contract that would nearly double his salary.

Virginia's athletic department declined to comment on reports Leitao had been offered the job and said no news conference had been scheduled for Friday

But reports from Chicago to Charlotte said Leitao toured the Virginia campus Thursday and returned to Chicago with an offer of $1.1 million or more annually to succeed Pete Gillen, who resigned after seven years as coach of the Cavaliers.

ESPN.com reported that Leitao had agreed to take the job.

If Leitao accepts, Virginia would pay DePaul for the remaining six years on his contract, a package estimated to be worth more than $3 million, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Virginia already is paying Gillen $2 million to buy out the remaining years of his contract.

With Leito being courted by St. John's and Auburn, DePaul reworked his contract in the offseason and gave him a six-year extension believed to be worth more than $600,000 annually.

Leitao's mentor, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun, has sung the praises of his protege to Virginia president John T. Casteen III, who was UConn's president before going to Charlottesville.

Leitao's 58-34 record marks the best three-year stretch for DePaul since it first joined a conference in 1991.

[bulls96go]

money talks

[bigbull]

Good I'm glad we don't have to see him again....

[bulls96go]

Good I'm glad we don't have to see him again....

why... is he that good?

[ChiTownBull]

Depaul is now looking at the current wester Mich coach as a possible replacement.

[Markeymark]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2047878

Wainwright replaces Leitao, who left for UVa

Richmond's Jerry Wainwright has accepted an offer to be the next head coach at DePaul, multiple sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

A news conference has tentatively been called for Thursday afternoon at DePaul to announce the hiring. Wainwright, 58, is replacing Dave Leitao, who left two weeks ago to replace Pete Gillen as head coach at Virginia.

Wainwright is one of two coaches who interviewed for the position, along with Western Michigan's Steve Hawkins. Wainwright is from Chicago area.

Prior to his stint at Richmond, Wainwright was the head coach at UNC Wilmington. He's known to be one of the most respected coaches in the country, especially because of his defensive principles. Wainwright led teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and 2002 at UNC Wilmington and 2004 at Richmond.

Wainwright will take with him assistant coach Gary DeCesare, a noted New York-area coach who could recruit well for DePaul as it prepares to enter the Big East next season. Wainwright will also bring his son, Scott, an assistant on Richmond's staff.

The rest of his staff is up for discussion and could include DePaul assistants Josh Oppenheimer and Tyler Jones, who didn't go with Leitao.