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Report: Marshall reaches out to Mike D’Antoni regarding head coaching vacancy

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Less than two weeks after the school announced that head coach Tom Herrion had resigned, Marshall has reportedly set its sights on the NBA for its next head coach.

According to a report by Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, the school has reached out to Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni to gauge his interest in the position. D’Antoni, who has never coached at the collegiate level, is both a native of West Virginia and a Marshall alum.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Thundering Herd have pursued D’Antoni before and made this latest inquiry -- which coincides with his uncertain future in Los Angeles -- because they “always sound him out” any time Marshall has an opening in a bow to D’Antoni’s stature in school history.

D’Antoni has plenty of experience coaching at the professional level, having been the head coach of four different NBA franchises and two different franchises in Italy (two stints at Benetton Treviso). It was also noted in the story that D’Antoni, who has two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers, isn’t expected to make such a move. However, in a story written by Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com it was stated that there is mutual interest.

In four seasons at Marshall Tom Herrion posted a record of 67 wins and 67 losses, leading the Thundering Herd to postseason appearances in 2011 (CIT) and 2012 (NIT). Marshall loses just one senior from this season’s team, 7-foot-2 center Yous Mbao.

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