The 43-year-old Gregory has been linked to several coaching jobs this spring and was considered a natural fit for DePaul since he grew up near its Chicago campus in Mount Prospect, Ill. But he had turned down the Blue Demons twice previously, and the school apparently was leery of getting spurned a third time.
DePaul never called to seek permission to talk to Gregory, UD Athletic Director Tim Wabler confirmed.
Gregory, though, was pursued by Iowa and Boston College and told both schools he wasn’t interested in leaving UD.
“We’ve made a commitment to Brian, and you can see Brian, from his actions and statements, has made a commitment to us,” Wabler said.
Gregory, who has led the Flyers to an average of 25 wins the last three seasons and the NIT championship this year, signed a contract extension in 2009 that pays him roughly $750,000 this year and $1 million annually near the end of the pact in 2018.
He would have received a significant bump in pay if he had taken a job at a school in a NCAA powerhouse conference, but he said money isn’t his top priority.
Although he wouldn’t talk about specific job offers, Gregory said he’s told potential suitors, “I’m happy here.”
Wabler believes those higher-profile programs are caught off guard by Gregory’s lack of interest.
“My take is people are surprised when they just look from afar at what we have going at the University of Dayton,” Wabler said.
“He’s a perfect fit. We’ve got great facilities. And we have great support for the student-athlete academically and athletically.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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