The search for the head basketball coach at NIU has gained one, and lost one, known candidate.

Bruce Weber, an assistant under Gene Keady at Purdue, told The Northern Star that he is looking into the NIU job.

“I’ve touched base with NIU and I have applied,” Weber said. “I’d definitely be interested.” Weber said he has not heard from NIU about an interview.

Weber, 33, has served at Purdue for 11 years. He began his collegiate coaching career as a full-time assistant at Marquette before teaming up with Keady at Western Kentucky as a graduate assistant in 1979.

Weber also coached at Madison and Marquette high schools in Wisconsin before moving into the collegiate ranks.

Another early candidate, Huskies assistant Rob Judson, has fallen out of the picture.

NIU Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell informed Judson last Thursday that he would not be interviewed.

Judson said he will resign from his current NIU position Monday and join former NIU coach Jim Molinari’s staff at Bradley.

“Right now I’m in transition,” Judson said. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity we had here at NIU. We wish Jim’s (Molinari) successor all the luck in the world.

“I’m disappointed, but I can understand their decision,” added Judson, who said “lack of (collegiate coaching) experience was the main factor” in why he was not interviewed.

Associate Athletic Director Keith Hackett said the interviewing process has not begun yet but might be underway in “eight or nine days.” O’Dell would only say the interviewing would begin “sometime soon.”

To aid in their search, NIU has hired Raycom Management Group of Charlotte, N.C. Raycom will “help us identify and broaden a pool of candidates,” O’Dell said. He would not disclose how much the services of Raycom would cost NIU.

Other frequently mentioned candidates for the NIU job are DePaul assistant Robert Collins and Illinois assistant Mark Coomes.