By
Keith Carmona
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona undergraduate assistant Josh Pastner's Lone Star State roots may just be pulling him home for good.
Texas Southern University yesterday named Pastner one of six finalists for their vacant head basketball coaching position.
"If I can't stay at Arizona, this is about the next best thing in the world for me," said Pastner, who grew up in Kingwood, about 20 minutes from the TSU campus in Houston. "It is a great feeling to have a shot at this. For years, I have faxed out resumes and heard 'no' so many times. Hearing 'maybe' was music to my ears."
Pastner's undergraduate assistant position with the UA coaching staff has a maximum one-year term and would require him to find another job if no other Arizona assistant leaves the program.
After the Wildcats' run to the National Championship game, assistants Rodney Tention and Jay John will likely be considered for head coaching positions elsewhere.
"Believe it or not, it is very early in the offseason coaching race," Pastner said. "Jobs are still opening up, so I don't know what the future holds for me."
Though Pastner's competition have favorable resumes, he hopes that his Texas recruiting ties will lure TSU athletic director Alois Blackwell into giving him the job.
"Since I have been on the horn with Texas Southern, I let them know that I've got some feathers in my cap," he said. "I could bring in a package deal with some pretty good recruits from the area if they gave me the job. It's a win-win situation."
