Fired up to be posting the “dirt” on our new site!  Here are some things that I’ve heard…

• From a good source… former Mississippi State graduate assistant Tanner Smith will become the Director of Operations at Charlotte under new head coach Mark Price.  Smith played at Clemson when former MSU head coach Rick Ray was an assistant there.  He also played professionally overseas for two seasons after graduation.
• Earlier this week, I mentioned that American assistant Nate Philippe was a finalist at DII Simon Frasier (http://hoopdirt.com/dii-dirt/).  I have now also heard that he is also a finalist for the job at Concordia University (Montreal).  Philippe, a native Canadian has been at American for the past two years, and has also been an assistant at Maine and North Dakota. He also is the former head coach at West Hill Collegiate Institute (Ontario).
• I have heard of at least three coaches who are involved with the assistant opening at East Stroudsburg.  Head Coach Jeff Wilson is trying to replace Justin Potts who just became the head coach at Moravian a few weeks ago.  The names that I have heard are: Greg Van Pelt (DBO – St. Peter’s), Will Cabrera (Head Coach Impact Prep [PA]), and Raheem Scott (Assistant Coach – Acadia).  It sounds like all three are expected to interview on campus.
• I have heard from a good source that phone interviews are underway at the College of New Jersey. TCNJ is in the process of replacing former head coach Kelly Williams who was named senior associate director of athletics for external affairs at the school.