DENVER-
Nuggets assistant basketball coach Mike Dunlap isn’t ruling out a return to the college game.
He just doesn’t have an interest right now. Dunlap took his name out of consideration for the University of Colorado position Tuesday and recently told a search firm that he didn’t have a desire in the openings at the University of Minnesota and Denver University.
“I’m not pursuing one job right now,” Dunlap said. “If somebody wants to talk to me, I’ve been open to everybody that’s called. What I’ll do is take them as they come.”
Dunlap has been up front and honest with Denver coach George Karl and vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien about who’s contacted him for job interviews. They haven’t had to hear it through the grapevine.
“He’s so classy and handles it with such an integrity,” Karl said.
Dunlap joined the Nuggets before the season after a nine-year stint as head coach at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He was 248-50 with the Roadrunners and won the Division II national crown in 2000 and 2002.
He was in the mix for the Buffaloes job before taking his name out of the hat. The position became open when Colorado coach Ricardo Patton stepped down at the end of the season. Patton announced on Oct. 25 that he wouldn’t return after more than 11 years in charge.
“I needed to be honest with myself,” Dunlap said of his decision to end his flirtation with the Buffs opening. “That’s all I did. I measured things and reflected. On their side of the equation, they (the Buffaloes) were tremendous. But you’ve got to evaluate your own circumstances.”
Dunlap doesn’t know if he sees himself in the NBA for the rest of his career. Right now, though, he’s enjoying his time.
“I’m certainly smitten with the NBA, coach Karl, the staff and the players,” he said. “As witnessed by this, I’m not in a rush to leave it.”
Although Dunlap’s name keeps surfacing for job vacancies, Karl said it hasn’t been a distraction for the Nuggets.
“He deserves it. He’s earned respect,” Karl said. “We don’t want to limit him, but we want him with us.
“My feeling is he came here to learn and he’s been multiply impressed by how much he has learned and wants to continue to do that.”
Karl had some simple advice for Dunlap.
“Don’t follow your pocketbook,” Karl said. “Go someplace where you and your family can have a good life in basketball. My best decisions are made when I don’t pursue them, when they come to you. If you have too much antsy energy, the butterfly won’t land on your shoulder. When you’re in control and feeling good, the butterfly feels that you’re at peace and the job comes to you.”
