UAPB to introduce coach today

The Arkansas-Pine Bluff basketball team will have a new coach as of today, but who the coach will be has not been answered, yet.

UAPB athletic director Lonza Hardy will make the announcement at 2 p.m. today in the lecture hall of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Complex.

Hardy interviewed Arkansas Baptist coach Dion Cross on April 23, and then interviewed Mississippi Valley State’s Nate Kilbert on April 26. Those were the only two candidates to interview for the job.

When contacted by the Pine Bluff Commercial on Thursday, Cross said he had not received a call from Hardy telling him he was the new coach.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said. “I actually heard about the press conference yesterday, but I haven’t heard any word from the school.”

By deductive reasoning, that would mean Kilbert has the inside track at being named the new coach today. The Commercial was unable to get a hold of Kilbert despite multiple attempts, and calls to Hardy about who the new coach would be were not returned.

Earlier in the week when asked how the interview with Kilbert went, Hardy said it went well and was not planning to schedule any more interviews. Kilbert is familiar with Hardy since he was the athletic director at MVSU when Kilbert was hired in 2001.

This past season, Kilbert led MVSU to the SWAC regular season title and was named the SWAC Coach of the Year.

Cross also said he thought his interview went great and he has been keeping tabs on the UAPB women’s basketball team the last few years.

“I definitely have the solution for it, get the academics up and the graduation rate up and get more players in,” he said. “I have been a patient observer, and I like told Mr. Hardy, I want to make it a nationally known program.

“I am just hoping that I get the call. I think he is keeping it close to the vest and I am hoping I get that call.”

Arkansas Baptist competes in the NJCAA. Cross led the team to a 22-9 record this past season. It was the third straight winning season for Arkansas Baptist and the second 20-win season for Cross, who was hired in 2006.

Cross was 15-47 in his first three years as the coach. In the last three years, he has led the school to a 62-27 record.

Former Arkansas associate head coach Tim Eatman sent in his resume for the job, but was not brought in for an interview.