Coaching changes: Who's coming, who's going

Tubby Smith's hasty retreat from Kentucky isn't the only coaching shakeup coming to light late this week, although it might be the most surprising -- especially to the insiders who never connected the dots between Smith and the open Minnesota job until the announcement Thursday. (A note for UK fans: A couple of sources are mentioning Texas coach Rick Barnes as No. 1 on the Wildcats' wish list so far).

But that one down, here are others of local interest:

Austin Peay is expected to announce its new football coach in the next few days. The OVC school brought five candidates to campus over the past few days for interviews: former Alabama-Birmingham assistant and Austin Peay quarterback Rick Christophel, former Elon and East Tennessee State head coach Paul Hamilton, current interim head coach Steve Haywood, former Samford assistant Shawn Gregory and former Alabama assistant Dave Rader. One of them will replace Carroll McCray, who resigned in February.

We posted the link at SemoSportsWeb.com when the story broke Wednesday afternoon, but in case you missed it: Former SEMO assistant Keno Davis is the new men's basketball coach at Drake. He took over for his dad, Tom, who formally announced his retirement this week. Some Drake boosters are grumbling because Drake didn't have a formal search, even though the school said in early 2006 that the job would go to Keno when it became open. Keno was a SEMO assistant for four seasons under Gary Garner, also a former Drake coach; he left SEMO two seasons before Garner was fired.

SIU's Chris Lowery is being mentioned as a frontrunner for the Michigan job, and he's already gaining buzz in the Iowa search now that Steve Alford is going to New Mexico. The way SIU exited the NCAA's Sweet 16 with a bang Thursday's loss to Kansas, it'll be stunning if Lowery (also a former SEMO assistant) is still at SIU next season.

Among local high schools, it's being mentioned elsewhere online that Jason Long is out as boys basketball coach at Clarkton -- surprising (if it's true) in light of Clarkton's just-completed 23-4 season, but maybe not so surpring because of what fans say is Long's lukewarm support around town and among parents. There's also talk of a coaching change at South Pemiscot, odd timing (if it's true) after the Bulldogs reached the Class 2 state quarterfinals just days ago and lost to eventual state champ Wellston. I'll try to find out more and post it here.

Coaching changes that are confirmed are Frank Killian, who stepped down as coach at Cooter (where he's also the high school principal), and Chris Miller, who e-mailed me late Wednesday to confirm that he's leaving Zalma for a job at Southern Reynolds (Ellington). And two of the six MAAA boys basketball jobs were filled this week when Ste. Genevieve and Potosi hired coaches.