Ball State men's basketball coach James Whitford issued a statement Friday afternoon after ESPN "inadvertently published" an article that stated he was hired by Duquesne.
“It is certainly gratifying to have people outside your program recognize your team’s success and show an interest in you as a coach," the statement said. "While it is flattering to be approached, I am happy with and committed to my job at Ball State. We have taken some big steps here and are excited to strive for bigger ones. We have the student-athletes in place to continue chasing our goal of hanging banners in Worthen Arena, and we are excited about what the future holds.”
After leading the Cardinals to a 42-27 record over the last two seasons, Whitford reportedly interviewed for the Duquesne head coaching position according to CBS College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein, though The Daily News has not independently confirmed.
The Star Press Ball State employee salary database reports Whitford made $286,083.00 in 2016-17, less than half of former Duquesne coach Jim Ferry's reported base salary according to a 2012 ESPN article.
Whitford signed a contract extension last summer that runs through 2020-21.
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