OLE: GARNER ELUSIVE ON BULLS; SE COACH EXPECTED TO SOON MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT

An announcement could come as early as today regarding Gary Garner's status as coach of Southeast Missouri State University's basketball program.

Garner said Tuesday that he would likely announce his decision to either remain at Southeast or join the Chicago Bulls organization either today or Thursday.

While Garner will not say what position he has been offered by the Bulls, sources said he has been offered an assistant coaching post after talks with longtime friend Tim Floyd, who was recently named the Bulls' director of basketball operations and is almost certain to become Chicago's head coach next season.

When the story of Garner possibly going to the Bulls first broke Monday night, Garner would not confirm that he had been offered the coaching position, saying only, "I have had several conversations with Tim Floyd and the Bulls. I'm considering a lot of things."

Sources said that Garner met in Chicago with Floyd and other Bulls' officials last week. Garner then informed Southeast administrators of the meeting. He has reportedly met with Southeast administrators several times since returning from Chicago.

Southeast executive vice president Ken Dobbins said the school would hate to lose a coach it values as much as Garner, who led the Indians to a 14-13 record last season, his first at Southeast. It marked the Indians' first winning season in five years.

"We would like for him to stay at Southeast, because he really is an outstanding basketball coach," said Dobbins. "He works well with student athletes; they like him. He's been successful and will continue to be.

"Gary and I have talked for a week or so. I've talked to him six or seven times this week. I would hope he'd like to stay at Southeast. We're trying to work with him and see if we can encourage him to stay."

Garner signed a three-year contract worth $72,000 annually when he took over Southeast's basketball program last June after the firing of longtime coach Ron Shumate amid an NCAA investigation.

Dobbins would not say whether the school would try to renegotiate Garner's contract in order to entice him to stay, but he did say, "There's no way we can compete with the money I'm sure the Bulls can offer."

Dobbins said he found a bit of humorous satisfaction in the Bulls' pursuing a Southeast coach.

"Obviously we've done a very good job of selecting a head basketball coach. I think the selection process worked very, very well," he said.