and Jeff Kirik

Jim Hallihan, the top assistant basketball coach at Iowa State, has been named as a finalist for the vacant Huskie coaching job a source close to the NIU athletic department said Wednesday.

Hallihan came to ISU in August 1982, which was the last season Gerald O’Dell, now NIU’s athletic director, served as an assistant football coach at ISU. Clarence Hudson, chairman of the NIU screening committee in charge of narrowing the field of candidates, was also an assistant football coach at ISU in 1982.

O’Dell said Hallihan has applied, but there is no signifigance to he and Hallihan having been at ISU at the same time.

“You don’t hire people because they’re your friends,” O’Dell said, “you hire them because they can do the job.”

udson did not return calls made to his office.

Also said to be finalists were Illinois assistant Mark Coomes and Tulsa assistant Gary Garner, who spent last season at Tulsa after a seven-year stint as head coach at Drake.

Hallihan, 44, began his college coaching career at East Tennessee State as an assistant to Sonny Smith, who left to take the Auburn head coaching job in 1978. Hallihan took over as ETSU’s head coach for the 1978-79 season and posted a 16-11 record, his high-water mark during his four years at the school.

While at ETSU, Hallihan’s record was 57-53. In his final two seasons there, Hallihan’s teams posted losing records, though the season after he left, ETSU went 22-9 and earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.

Long-time ETSU sports information director, John Cathey, described Hallihan as a coach who was “popular” with fans and players.

“I think he would do a better job as a head coach (now) than he did then,” Cathey said, pointing to the experience Hallihan has gained at Iowa Sate.

Garner, also 44, was 95-104 at Drake before being fired after the 1987-88 season. That year, Drake lost nine of its last 10 games and finished 14-14. Garner’s only two winning seasons at Drake were 1985-86, when the Bulldogs went 19-11 and received an NIT berth, and 1986-87, when Drake was 17-14.

“I’ve had long discussions with Gerald O’Dell about the position,” Garner said Wednesday from Tulsa. “I want to know a little more about it though. I don’t think you want to take a job unless you’ve been on campus.”

Asked if he had been contacted about becoming a finalist, Garner said, “I have not been officially told that.”

Prior to Drake, Garner served as an assistant coach for four years at Missouri. Before that he was a head coach for one season at Missouri Southern.

Depaul assistant coach Jim Molinari said Wednesday that he too considers himself in the running for the NIU job.

Indiana assistant Joby Wright may also be one of the finalists.