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According to Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel Ohio men's basketball head coach Jim Christian has emerged as a "legit candidate" for the vacant head coaching position at Boston College.
A new name has emerged as a contender in the BC mix, Ohio Coach Jim Christian. Sources say he's a legit candidate.
— Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) March 31, 2014
Christian recently completed his second season at Ohio with a 25-12 (11-7 MAC) season that saw the 'Cats advance to the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament quarterfinals before falling to VMI, 92-90. In two seasons in Athens, Christian has led the Bobcats to a record of 49-22 (25-9 MAC), and two post-season appearances; Ohio was eliminated in the first-round of the 2013 NIT.
Boston College has been looking for a replacement for former head coach Steve Donahue who was fired in March after compiling a record of 54-76 in four seasons. The Eagles vacancy has been a hot topic amongst college basketball fans and media alike with everyone from Harvard's Tommy Amaker, former UConn coach Jim Calhoun and even fellow MAC coach Tod Kowalczyk being considered as a candidate at one point or another. Amaker and Calhoun have both withdrew their names from consideration for the position.
Christian signed a five-year deal with the Bobcats in 2012, worth $425,000 annually, after former head coach John Groce left for the open job at Illinois. Christian came to Ohio after spending four seasons at TCU where he went 56-73 with the Horned Frogs. Before his stint at TCU, Christian was the head coach of the Kent State Golden Flashes for six seasons, going 137-59 (76-28 MAC) while making two NCAA Tournament appearances.
In terms of conference winning percentage Christian is one of the best coaches the MAC has ever seen having won 73 percent of his conference games.
Considering the long list of names that have been brought up for this position it's hard to tell what the odds of a Christian to BC deal are, if it happens though it would leave the Bobcats in search of a new coach after graduating its winningest class in program history.