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Friday, April 25, 2008

Report: Lobos' Neal Seeks Pro Job

By Mark Smith
Journal Staff Writer
    Here we go again— and this time it looks like Craig Neal might finally be leaving.
    And he might not be the last one from the University of New Mexico men's basketball staff.
    Neal, the Lobos' associate head basketball coach who was recently turned down for head coaching positions at Toledo and Missouri State, is making a run at an NBA return. Neal, who played parts of two seasons in the NBA and was an assistant coach and scout for the Toronto Raptors from 1996-2004, is a candidate for an assistant coaching position with the Milwaukee Bucks.
    Meanwhile, the Journal has learned that University of Memphis coach John Calipari is interested in hiring UNM assistant Ryan Miller, who was the school's director of basketball operations from 2004-06.
    On Thursday night, ESPN.com reported that Neal and former Indiana University coach Kelvin Sampson are both in line for spots on the Bucks' staff under coach Scott Skiles.
    Early Thursday evening, Neal told a Journal reporter that "nothing exciting is going on," when asked about any news in the program. "We're just doing individual workouts."
    Shortly thereafter, multiple sources confirmed Neal was campaigning for the Bucks job, and the Journal left a message with Neal seeking comment. Neal did not return the call.
    In late February, during a local sports talk radio show, Neal said the UNM staff was staying put. "We're not going anywhere," Neal said. "We took this job and we left Iowa and our families came and we moved everything, we sold everything, so we're here. So you can listen to all the rumors you want, but we're going to be here at New Mexico."