FAU considers Jarvis to lead basketball program

5/16/2008 8:24 PM

By SARAH LARIMER
Associated Press Writer

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) -Former St. John's basketball coach Mike Jarvis is a candidate to take over Florida Atlantic's program but has not been offered a contract, school spokeswoman Katrina McCormick said Friday.

McCormick said any contract offer made by athletic director Craig Angelos would have to first be reviewed by the university's board of trustees. She said a board meeting might be held next week.

Former NBA player Rex Walters left Florida Atlantic in April to take over San Francisco's struggling program. He had a 31-33 record in two seasons for the Owls.

When reached at his home in Boca Raton, Jarvis said he's being considered for the job but has not received an offer.

``I interviewed with them last Friday,'' he said.

Jarvis has not coached since he was fired from St. John's in December 2003, after the Red Storm got off to their worst start in more than 80 years and were struggling with problems away from the court.

Jarvis, who was the first coach in Big East history to be fired during the season, came to St. John's in 1998.

He led the Red Storm to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament his first season and they lost in the second round the next year. St. John's also went to the tournament in 2002, losing in the first round.

Before his stint at St. John's, Jarvis spent eight seasons at George Washington and was at Boston University for five seasons before that. He took Boston University to the NCAA tournament twice, and George Washington three times.

Jarvis led the Red Storm to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament his first season and they lost in the second round the next year.

Jarvis first came to national prominence as Patrick Ewing's high school coach at Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Mass.