Providence College assistant coach Larry Shyatt arrived in DeKalb Wednesday night to begin formal interviews for the vacant NIU head-coaching job.

Shyatt, along with Louisiana Tech head coach Jerry Loyd, who left DeKalb late Wednesday night after his interviews, and USC assistant Brian Hammell, who is scheduled to arrive later this week, are the known finalists for the job.

Sources say Loyd will return to Louisiana Tech and discuss his potential move with Louisiana Tech officials before making a decision if the job is offered to him.

One of the lures for the candidates would be an increased salary over what Jim Molinari made as head coach at NIU.

Molinari earned $69,000 in base salary. Published reports have stated that the new Huskies’ coach may be offered up to $80,000 a year in base salary.

In other developments, Chicago Public League coaches continue to lobby for DePaul assistant, and former NIU assistant, Robert Collins.

Collins, who was the top recruiter at NIU for two years under Jim Rosborough, was one of the initial candidates for the job, but was not one of the finalists originally invited to interview at NIU.

Several prominent Public League coaches have reacted to the apparent snubbing of Collins by saying that NIU will have a hard time recruiting in the league and that they might tend to steer their players away from NIU.

That reaction has spilled over to Public League coaches in other sports.

Marshall High School’s highly successful girl’s basketball coach Dorothy Gators echoed the sentiment of her male counterparts.

“I am very disappointed (about Collins not being a finalist),” Gators said. “He has the respect of all the coaches. (NIU’s image) will be somewhat tarnished,” she added. “I will certainly remember it.”

The five seniors on this season’s squad have also expressed their support for Collins in a signed letter sent to The Northern Star.