The job posting for the next coach of Central Connecticut men’s basketball team closed last week, meaning the next step in the search will soon be underway: preliminary interviews.

There were more than 80 applicants to the position according to Interim Athletic Director Tom Pincince. Pincince added that he is “extremely happy” with the pool of candidates that applied.

“We have quality applicants in this pool,” Pincince said. “Everything from up and coming assistants to head coaches who have had success.”

Pincince is the hiring manager for this job search, but there is also a committee of six people who will be involved in the interview and hiring process.

Interviews over Zoom will start taking place sometime next week according to Pincince. Once that pool is further narrowed down, candidates will be visiting CCSU’s campus for in-person discussions and interviews.

The pandemic has brought some benefits to the coaching search for CCSU. The preliminary interviews are normally conducted over the phone. With Zoom, Pincince noted that things like body language can also be observed.

The Zoom interviews should take two to three days to complete, according to Pincince. The Interim AD made a point of explaining that this search, one of CCSU Athletic’s most important hires in recent history, will not be rushed.

“I know theres some anxiety with getting this done as soon as possible but I also think that we’re talking about bringing in the right person to help us get this program back to where it needs to be,” Pincince said. “We’re not going to rush the decision. Yes it takes longer than most searches may take but as I’ve mentioned to you before this is an important hire for us. That person that comes in we need to know that they’re the right person for the job. If that takes us a little extra time then I’m okay with that.”

Pincince added that while there have not been many updates yet, “we’ll get there. It’s been a process up to this point. There’s work being done throughout these past few weeks. We’re not just sitting around waiting, we’re doing our homework.”

While it might be a tough pill to swallow for some fanatics, Pincince is focused on rebuilding the program more so than immediate success for the hire.

“I’m not looking for this person to bring in 10 transfers and all of the sudden we’re the best team in the NEC,” Pincince said. “The person that we hire needs to be willing to be invested in building this program back to where it needs to be. I’m not looking for somebody who is going to have the quick fix.”

Still, the NCAA transfer portal’s current state makes the CCSU job even more intriguing. There are more names entering it than are normally seen in a given year thanks to extra years of eligibility being added. Pincince did acknowledge the opportunity this brings with it.

“There is a lot of talent out there,” Pincince said. “What we need to make sure is anyone we bring into this program is the type of student athlete we think we can build around. The type of student athlete that can help us be successful on the court, in the classroom, in the community and has that mentality that we’re looking for to help get us back to where we need to be…It doesn’t necessarily start on the court.”

“We are working on this everyday. We’re finding the best fit for Central.”