It appears there are three candidates being given serious consideration to become the next head women’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.
The Star Tribune reports Wichita State coach Jody Adams, South Dakota State coach Aaron Johnston and Notre Dame assistant coach Niele Ivey have emerged at the top of the list to replace Pam Borton, who was fired last week.
University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague told the Star Tribune that he has not personally contacted the candidates. Teague has pledged to conduct the national search quickly but not in haste.
It was Johnston’s South Dakota State team that eliminated the Gophers from the WNIT last week. They play UTEP on Wednesday in the tournament semifinal. He has posted a record of 339-117 in 14 seasons at South Dakota State and led the team through the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.
Ivey’s Notre Dame team is also still playing they have qualified for the NCAA Final Four. It is the fourth consecutive Final Four for the Irish, who are 36-0 on the season.
Adams was a former Gophers assistant who helped recruit the class that included Lindsay Whalen. She has helped to turn around the Wichita State program, which has qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of the last two seasons.
