Ellington

Minnesota is looking for a men's basketball coach. Charley Waters, columnist for the (St. Paul, Minn.) Pioneer Press Dispatch seems to think that Hattiesburg's most famous former party animal might be headed north.

Two possibilities, yet to be publicly discussed, to succeed Dan Monson are Washington State's Tony Bennett and Southern Mississippi's Larry Eustachy. ...

Eustachy, 50, is an intriguing prospect. Considered an exceptional recruiter, he has coached Southern Mississippi to a 9-0 start this season (actually, the Eagles are 7-0). But he was dismissed by Iowa State in 2003 after published photos showed him drinking and partying with college students.

People close to him say he no longer drinks and has been a model citizen. Eustachy was named national coach of the year in 2000 after leading Iowa State to the Final Eight in the NCAA tournament.

Doctor S suspects that Eustachy is going to have to produce a winning season in the Hub City before he gets another gig at a major-conference program.