Penders Spurns Rutgers Job

Rutgers offered a lucrative long-term contract, but Tom Penders said Wednesday that he will remain the basketball coach at Texas.

The financial package would have paid $700,000 annually over at least seven years, Penders said, adding that his decision didn’t hinge on money.

“It was an offer that I wouldn’t have had to work another day in my life if I had taken it,” Penders said in Austin, Texas. “But I love the University of Texas and I’m staying.”

Meanwhile, Bill Herrion, who led Drexel to three NCAA tournament appearances in the last four years, has emerged as the new front-runner for the job. Herrion, 38, is expected to talk to school officials again Friday or Saturday in Indianapolis.

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Lefty Driesell, the 10th-winningest coach in Division I history, took over the least successful program when he was hired by Georgia State in Atlanta. Driesell, 65, only 17 victories short of 700 for his career, will guide a team that has had only three winning seasons in its 34-year existence. Driesell was fired March 5 by James Madison. . . . Coach Steve Alford cemented his relationship with Southwest Missouri State, agreeing to a new four-year contract, even as he said he would still listen to an offer from Ohio State. . . . Tennessee awaited a decision from Illinois State’s Kevin Stallings on whether he will replace Kevin O’Neill, who resigned March 11 and went to Northwestern. . . . Jeff Schneider has received a contract extension to coach Cal Poly San Luis Obispo through the 2001-02 season. . . . The John Wooden All-American team was announced: Jacque Vaughn of Kansas, Ron Mercer of Kentucky, Keith Van Horn of Utah, Tim Duncan of Wake Forest, Danny Fortson of Cincinnati, Bobby Jackson of Minnesota, Antawn Jamison of North Carolina, Brevin Knight of Stanford, Raef LaFrentz of Kansas and Charles O’Bannon of UCLA. The Wooden Award will be announced April 4.