At Thursday night’s NIU basketball awards banquet, coach Jim Molinari declined to comment on speculation that he would be heading for Bradley University to take over as head coach at the Peoria school.

At the same time, several prominent local businessmen who are also NIU athletic department boosters appear to be working to keep Molinari from leaving.

Molinari on Thursday night again confirmed that he has been interviewed for the Bradley job. One of the added incentives that the Bradley job holds is the salary. Stan Albeck, who resigned from Bradley in March, made approximately $175,000 per year. Molinari’s base salary at NIU is $69,000.

There are conflicting reports about whether or not the aforementioned businessmen are attempting to raise $50,000 per year that would go to Molinari to convince him to stay.

“It sounds to me like a good idea. I’d give it some serious thought,” said DeKalb businessman Jim Mason, who was a “victory member” contributor (between $1,000 and $2,499) to the NIU Athletic Fund in 1990.

Mason later expounded. “There was talking in general … people have asked me to look into it,” Mason said. Mason did not specify who asked him to look into it.

NIU Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell labels reports of a Molinari fund as untrue. “If people are making these statements, it’s false,” O’Dell said. That a Molinari fund has been established “is not the case,” he said.

“I’ve been working with a group of guys,” NIU Associate Athletic Director Tom Mitchell said. “But that (a Molinari fund) is not the focus. (It’s) to assist the needs of the men’s basketball program. I don’t know anything about (the Molinari fund). I don’t know if that could be worked out legally.”

However, Mason said “I’m sure that they (the NIU Athletic Department) do (know about efforts to keep Molinari through fund raising). Mason later expounded on his comments to say “I’m sure that they do know about the discussions (and) that people have been interested in any way they can.”

Mason also said those involved “don’t appreciate being publicized,” and that “I think if The Northern Star said anything, it would be counterproductive.”

Jerry Smith, President of Castle Communications of DeKalb, a “director member” of the NIU Athletic Fund ($2,500 to $4,999) said he knew of a general fund to help the men’s basketball program called “operation momentum,” but that “this is the first I’ve heard of that ($50,000) figure.”