Former NBA player Wayne “Tree” Rollins is one of three finalists for Northern New Mexico College’s women’s basketball coaching position, according to Northern athletic director Enzley Mitchell.
Mitchell said the position was opened after coach Todd Huffman decided not to return. The women’s team finished 4-9 in its first season.
“He wanted to pursue other interests,” Mitchell said. “That’s how it is in this business. You realize that the situation isn’t a good fit for you and you move on.”
The three finalists are: Christina Jost, women’s basketball coach at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark.; Adam Taylor, athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Hillsdale College in Moore, Okla.; and Rollins.
Rollins, 53, played 18 seasons in the NBA as a 7-foot center who was noted for his defensive skills and shot-blocking ability. He has been a head coach in the NBA’s developmental league and his most recent position was during the 2007-2008 season as coach of the Washington Wizards of the Women National Basketball Association. He has not coached at the collegiate level.
“The impression I got was that he wants to be a college coach,” Mitchell said. “At the NBA level for a coach it’s more of a managerial position. In (Rollins’) heart he wants to teach and that’s what you do as a coach at the collegiate level.”
Taylor has had previous head coaching experience at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn., and at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Mo.
Jost is entering her third season as women’s coach at the University of the Ozarks. She is a 1999 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan University
Mitchell said he expects to name a new coach by May 8 after interviewing the three finalists in person.
Mitchell also announced Tuesday that Northern’s basketball teams had joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).