Jestor Given One Year Ultimatum
Embattled UNLV coach [b]Izulde Jestor[/ib] may seek another school that needs a hero
Following a disappointing 14-17 (5-11) season, the UNLV athletic board has given men's basketball head coach
Izulde Jestor one final season to meet their expectations. But there's reason to believe Jestor might finally be taking his talents elswhere,
despite pulling in the 35th ranked recruiting class.
"It gets tiring being unappreciated. Yes, I had a bad season last year, but the year before I took the team to the NCAA tournament, and the board just shrugged because we didn't get past the first round. I've had some offers, so I'm going to be looking into them", a bitter Jestor said recently.
And indeed, reports say there's no shortage of offers. Florida State, Oregon State, UTEP, Penn State, Baylor, South Florida, Rice, Northwestern, Iowa, and Georgia have all extended offers, along with, much to everyone's surprise, Mountain West foe New Mexico.
Many of the schools can be safely eliminated from consideration. Jestor has no intention of going to another Mountain West school, and his dislike of Texas eliminates UTEP, Rice, and Baylor. A long-standing hatred of Oregon State, stemming from an admissions office snafu, takes the Beavers out of the equation.
That leaves Florida State, South Florida, Georgia, and the Big Ten schools of Iowa, Northwestern, and Penn State. The general feeling is that he'd rather not go back to his home region of the Midwest and Jestor has little love for the Deep South outside of Florida, which means Penn State, Florida State, and South Florida are the remaining options.
Florida State
-Hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since the 2011 season, although there have been a handful of NIT appearances since then, including last year.
-Highest finish was Elite 8, in 2010, the school's only second weekend finish in the 21st century.
-Boasts a high academic ranking and gorgeous college Gothic architecture, both of which appeal to Jestor.
-Board wants to avoid last place in ACC.
-Opportunity to become a legend.
South Florida
-Last NCAA appearance in 2032
-Has just 3 NCAA appearances since 2000, all first weekend exits.
-Board expects NCAA appearance despite the lackluster history.
-Real opportunity to become a legend.
Penn State
-Won the NIT last year, but only one Sweet 16 appearance since 2000, in 2017.
-The board also wants an NCAA appearance, in spite of a tough Big 10.
Realistically it's going to come down to South Florida or Florida State, with the oddsmakers heavily favoring the Seminoles. But anything can happen, and perhaps Jestor can be talked into fighting through another year.