Texas A&M assistant interviews for UT opening

"I’ve talked to him and he’s a strong candidate,’’ Pearl said. "He has not been offered the job, but he’s being considered.

"There may be more individuals interviewed, but we’re definitely getting closer.’’

Pearl is looking to replace Scott Edgar, who left UT in mid-April to be the head coach at Southeast Missouri State.

Forbes has coached at Texas A&M the past two years. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Illinois State, and before that he spent three seasons as an assistant at Louisiana Tech.

Forbes was credited with helping to land a top 10-ranked recruiting class in 2003 for Louisiana Tech. In 2002, the Bulldogs received an NIT bid, their first postseason bid in 10 years.

Forbes was an assistant coach at Idaho in 1998-99, and in 1999-2000 he was the Vandals’ associate head coach. Forbes recruited future Utah Jazz second-round pick Kaniel Dickens for Idaho.

Forbes also was a head coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan., 1995-98, where he had a record of 68-28 with two national top-25 rankings and produced three All-Americans.

One of those players, Alexander Radojevic, became a lottery pick for the Toronto Raptors.

Forbes first head coaching job was at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa. He was 36-27 in his two seasons there. He was an assistant coach on the staff prior to taking over as the head coach.

A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University (1988) where he played baseball and earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.

Forbes is the seventh coach Pearl has seriously considered for the job. The others are Maryville College coach Randy Lambert, ABA coach/general manager Bob Sundvold, former Texas San-Antonio coach Tim Carter, former Iowa State assistant Damon Archibald, former Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes and Kent State assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer.