Jim Christian likely leaving TCU for job at Ohio U.

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By Stefan Stevenson

TCU men's basketball coach Jim Christian denied reports Sunday evening that he had been hired by Ohio University, but a source at TCU said his departure is likely imminent.

Christian, who just completed his fourth season at TCU, said he talked with Ohio representatives about their head coaching vacancy while in New Orleans for the NCAA Final Four, but said "there has been no offer made and no acceptance."

Calls to TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte were not returned Sunday evening.

CBSSports.com reported that Ohio had hired Christian on Sunday, citing unnamed sources. The report said the formal announcement would come Tuesday.

Although Christian, who was back home in Fort Worth on Sunday evening, denies the report, his departure from TCU is probably coming today, according to a source at TCU. Christian still needs to work out the details of his new contract, and inform his TCU players of the move, according to the source.

Christian coached for six years at Kent State before taking the TCU job in March 2008. His wife is from Ohio and still has a lot of family in the state. Ohio is in the Mid-American Conference, the same league as Kent State, where Christian led his team to five postseason appearances, including two in the NCAA Tournament.

His teams are 56-73 in four seasons at TCU. He led the Horned Frogs to their first winning season and first postseason berth since 2005 last month. TCU lost in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational.

Christian would replace John Groce at Ohio, which reached the Sweet 16. Groce was hired at Illinois last week.

According to CBSSports.com, Christian will earn approximately the same salary as he did at TCU, which was about $590,000 annually.

Christian was a candidate for the opening at his alma mater, Rhode Island, last month before Danny Hurley took the job.

According to an additional source at TCU, Christian was also a finalist for the head coaching job at Mississippi State before Rick Ray was hired Sunday.

Stefan Stevenson

817-390-7760

Twitter: @FollowtheFrogs

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