My mother, who is old enough to be my grandmother, says LK won't go anywhere this year for the following reasons:
1. Pepperdine cannot and will not offer him a ton of money; he knows he can probably get more in the next year or two somewhere else; and he has enough money saved (so that he doesn't need a few hundred thousand dollars more per year at this time).
2. He knows he can likely get a better job in the next year or two, and he's still very young.
3. The UM program is doing great right now, and prospects are even better. Things are getting fun now, and they are likely to get even better. The team should be even better next year. Attendance will be much better, and probably skyrocket , next year.
4. He likes his kids and his coaches, as well as his team's prospects, and would like to see what they can do together next year.
5. He and his family, including his wife, are liking Missoula and Montana.
6. Interviewing at Pepperdine, and getting his name further out in the press now, will mean that he is likely to be on almost every "long" list for new coaches in the next couple of years.
7. Pepperdine is an okay program, but it has less tradition and not much more potential (and perhaps no more potential) than Montana. Pepperdine could take huge work and many years to turn into a good program, and maybe it would be almost impossible to get it to a very good program.
8. Pepperdine probably isn't going to the ncaa tourney for the forseeable future. UM has much better chances.
9. He can get as much or more national media attention from UM now than he could get from Pepperdine next year.
10. UM believes it will probably be able offer a multi-year contract, perhaps 3 years, after the May regents' meeting. UM is offering more incentive money. The roundball club is raising more money for coaches, including assistant coaches, as we speak.
11. His kids are young enough so it doesn't matter if they move this year, next year or the following year.
12. His brother lives in Kalispell.
13. He just experienced one of his best athletic highs ever, with the win over Nevada. Everybody in the Griz family likes him right now.