Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh confirmed Thursday former Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik has drawn the academy’s interest in its search for a men’s basketball coach.
Mueh emphasized, however, that he’s a long way from selecting a coach and is looking at many candidates.
“I can’t deny that,” Mueh said when asked if Air Force has interest in Bzdelik. “But why not put Phil Jackson’s name out there, too? He’s out of a job.”
Bzdelik, who led the Nuggets to the NBA playoffs in 2004, was fired in December. He could not be reached for comment.
Mueh said Thursday his list of potential candidates stands at about 20.
“We’re still collecting information on a lot of people,” he said. “We’re early, early on in this process.”
Air Force is looking for a replacement for Chris Mooney, who resigned last week to take the coaching job at Richmond.
Mueh began interviewing potential candidates Wednesday, when he talked with assistant coaches Mike McKee and Larry Mangino. Air Force has acknowledged that both assistants, as well as Dean Christian, a former Air Force player and coach of the AFA Prep School basketball team, are on the list.
“We owed it to our assistant coaches to begin the interview process with them,” Mueh said. “We look at both of them as good candidates.”
Mueh said he hopes to have a coach by June 1. He had indicated it might take until the end of June to fill the position.
Bzdelik spent 12 years as an assistant in the NBA before getting his shot as a head coach with the Nuggets starting with the 2002- 03 season. He interviewed for the Loyola Marymount job this spring but pulled out of the search. He has two years of experience as a collegiate head coach at Maryland-Baltimore County.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
