North Carolina assistant coach Phil Ford may be the front-runner to succeed the fired Steve Fisher as Michigan’s coach.
According to sources, Michigan is said to be keenly interested in hiring an African American head coach and, if that’s true, Ford would be on a short wish list. He reportedly has received a strong endorsement from Tar Heels legend Dean Smith and could be named Michigan’s new coach as early as Monday or Tuesday, though a broadcast report late Saturday indicated he had removed his name from consideration.
Ford was a star guard at North Carolina and has spent 10 seasons as an assistant on Smith’s staff after an eye injury cut short his NBA career. Interestingly, publishers of a weekly newspaper devoted entirely to Tar Heels sports were reportedly advised not to mention Ford in their next issue.
Ford has said he didn’t know about Smith’s resignation until last Wednesday, though the school hired Pat Sullivan as an assistant earlier in the week. There is speculation that Sullivan was hired as a replacement for Ford.
Other likely Michigan candidates are George Washington’s Mike Jarvis, Tulane’s Perry Clark and Oklahoma’s Kelvin Sampson.