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A replacement for Kent can be had if price is right.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

If Oregon is about to make a decision to replace Ernie Kent as the head coach for men's basketball, does the search go any farther than a telephone call to Gonzaga's Mark Few?

Suppose he doesn't answer yes. Or has already headed for Arizona.

Then what for the Ducks?

One immediate issue will be money. The cost of coaches is going up, as shown by Alabama recently needing to offer $2 million annually to lure Anthony Grant from VCU. There are going to be other openings around the country, and Oregon will need to match Arizona and whatever other schools are in the market.

If the Ducks want to make a major statement with the hiring - and why else would they make a change except to increase interest before moving into the new arena - it figures to cost them $2 million in annual salary, or about double what Oregon is paying Kent.

Money hasn't often stood in the way of a hiring by the Ducks, though an increased amount for a men's basketball coach is likely to have a ripple effect on other salaries throughout the department.

Pat Kilkenny, the UO director of athletics, might have offered a hint about the process when he...

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