March 29--Bryce Drew and Bobby Hurley each want the DePaul men's basketball job "badly," according to a source.
Both were scheduled to interview this weekend -- Hurley on Saturday and Drew on Sunday -- according to sources.
The two are considered the top two targets in the search that began after Oliver Purnell resigned earlier this month after five seasons.
Drew, the coach at Valparaiso, played six seasons in the NBA, including one with the Bulls. He is remembered best for hitting a buzzer-beater that sent Valpo to the Sweet 16 in 1998. He received a 10-year contract extension from the school in December 2013. The Crusaders are 94-42 in his four seasons and have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, including this year.
Hurley, who won back-to-back NCAA titles and went to three Final Fours as a player at Duke, has a contract extension offer from Buffalo that would make him the highest paid basketball coach in the Mid-American Conference. The NCAA's all-time assists leader also played six years in the NBA and led Buffalo to its first NCAA tournament appearance this season. His teams are 42-20 over two seasons.
Efforts to reach Hurley for comment were unsuccessful and Drew has not returned messages the Tribune left for him.
Former Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter and former DePaul coach Dave Leitao also are being considered for the job, sources said.
The Blue Demons are expected to offer a contract similar to the roughly $2 million per year Purnell reportedly was paid, sources said.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
