Seton Hall first-year athletic director Joe Quinlan interviewed Davidson’s Bob McKillop before the national semifinals tipped off last night in Indianapolis, The Post has learned.
McKillop, 55, a Long Island native who led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament for the third time this season, is the fourth candidate to formally interview with the Big East school, joining Pitt assistant Barry Rohrssen, Manhattan’s Bobby Gonzalez and Ohio’s Tim O’Shea.
Quinlan, expected to decide between Rohrssen and Gonzalez this week, considers O’Shea, a former Boston College assistant who has strong Big East ties, and McKillop fallback candidates, a source said.
Another coach Quinlan had on his Indianapolis agenda was George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, whose Cinderella Patriots finally met their match in a loss to Florida last night at the RCA Dome. The Post learned, however, that Mason began the framework of a contract extension with the Bronx native two weeks before the tournament started. The Fairfax, Va., school is unlikely to grant any school permission to interview him.
With all four candidates in Indianapolis this weekend, it’s possible Quinlan makes his final decision – and perhaps even makes an informal offer – before he returns to South Orange. An announcement is expected, according to a school official, by midweek after Quinlan meets with the university’s Board of Regents.
McKillop, a 1972 Hofstra graduate, is 262-203 in 17 seasons at the Davidson, N.C., school. The Wildcats (20-11) lost to Ohio State, 70-62, in the NCAA first round March 17.