Friars eye UMass coach Ford

TRAVIS FORD 25-11 season

On Tuesday, University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Travis Ford said in a statement he was not a candidate for the opening at LSU and he was looking forward to coaching the Minutemen in 2008-09.

Yesterday, Ford and his wife, Heather, met with Providence College athletic director Bob Driscoll in Providence and toured the campus and the Dunkin' Donuts Center, where the Friars play home games.

Tonight, Ford presumably will be at the UMass team dinner, celebrating a 25-11 season and an NIT runner-up finish. Whether he'll also be saying goodbye remains the question. According to sources at Providence and UMass, Ford is the main contender for the PC job and could have an offer he will consider over the next 24 hours.

UMass AD John McCutcheon declined to comment when asked about the status of his coach, who last year signed a contract extension through 2015. "I never comment on speculation," said McCutcheon.

Driscoll was unavailable for comment, but he talked to Ford at the Final Four in San Antonio last weekend and set up the campus tour and a meeting with PC officials yesterday.

Ford's name had been linked to the opening at LSU. But the Tigers tendered an offer that Stanford coach Trent Johnson reportedly accepted.

With LSU out of the mix, Ford's only option was Providence, which was in a quandary when George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, a PC graduate, rejected an offer to replace the fired Tim Welsh.

Driscoll talked to Ohio University coach Tim O'Shea and Brown coach Craig Robinson in San Antonio. But Robinson went to Oregon State and the prospect of getting Ford, a Rick Pitino protégé, became enticing.

Ford is dealing from strength because PC doesn't appear to have a plan B if he says no. The interest in O'Shea seems minimal.

Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com.