Cold water tossed on Fred Hoiberg speculation as Ohio State rumor mill keeps churning

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Just another fun-filled spin on college hoops' coaching carousel.

It didn't take long for the Fred Hoiberg-to-Ohio State rumors to get shot down on Wednesday night, with several reports, including one from CSN's Vincent Goodwill, indicating the Bulls' head coach has no interest in leaving an iconic NBA franchise for one of the top jobs at the collegiate level.

The short-lived madness started when CBS Sports' Gary Parrish tweeted that Hoiberg was a "real candidate" in the search to succeed Thad Matta, whose 13-year tenure at Ohio State came to an end earlier this week.

But the speculation turned out to be brief when Hoiberg indicated his desire to stick with the Bulls.

While other NBA coaches mentioned on internet lists of potential candidates earlier this week seemed a tad unrealistic — Brad Stevens and Billy Donovan are coaching perennial playoff teams in Boston and Oklahoma City, respectively — Hoiberg leaving the pros for a college gig didn't seem terribly implausible. He had a wildly successful run at Iowa State, leading his alma mater to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, and hasn't had much success with the Bulls, earning one No. 8 playoff seed in two seasons.

But an NBA coach leaving for a job at a lower level is a rarity for a reason.

Hoiberg's lack of interest doesn't mean the Buckeyes aren't making progress in their search, though, as another report Wednesday night said Creighton's Greg McDermott was meeting with Ohio State and had become a "serious candidate."

McDermott, who has had a decent amount of success in seven years leading the Bluejays, isn't the big name Hoiberg is, but a coach of his level seems more in line with someone who would jump up from a smaller program to replace Matta.

Until next time, let the coaching carousel keep on spinning.

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