College basketball: Saint Louis removes interim tag from Jim Crews' title

St. Louis • Just days removed from the start of fall practice in 2011-12, Rick Majerus needed an assistant coach — fast.

Jim Crews had 24 hours to decide.

"He said, 'I think we're going to win a lot of games, we're going to eat well and we're going to laugh a lot,' " Crews remembered. "A great trifecta."

Saint Louis hired Crews on Friday, stripping his interim tag and making him the official replacement for Majerus, the former University of Utah coach who died last December.

The official step came after a record-setting season and nearly three weeks after the Billikens were eliminated in the NCAA Tournament.

Crews didn't act much like an interim coach, doing a lot of recruiting. He thought he may have lost a prospect or two given the uncertainty, just as the school did when Majerus became ill, but has been pleased with the response.

"Actually, I think it's been pretty darn, I think the kids have been very receptive," Crews said. "I think kids probably have a pretty good education into volatility in coaching, so I don't think they get too worked up about it."

Bob Hurley interested in Rutgers job

Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley of St. Anthony's High in Jersey City, N.J., would consider taking over the Rutgers basketball program on a caretaker basis for a year or two.

The 65-year-old Hurley told The Associated Press Friday that his wife and daughter have encouraged him to take the job if approached, and he indicated he would do it on a short-term basis.

Despite the need for a full-time athletic director, Rutgers interim Carl Kirschner has elected to look for a coach first. He began, ironically, by approaching Hurley's son, Dan, the coach at Rhode Island, Monday. Later in the week, Hurley agreed to a contract extension at the Atlantic 10 school.