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Last updated on Tuesday, April 3, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - Butler Men’s Basketball Coach Todd Lickliter has been named the new head coach at the University of Iowa. He will be formally introduced at a news conference this afternoon.
ESPN.com reported Monday night that Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, who played collegiately at Purdue, was originally offered the job but turned it down. Iowa had also spoken to former Creighton coach Dana Altman, who took the Arkansas job on Monday.
Lickliter led the Bulldogs to a school-record 29 wins and a berth in the Sweet-16 of the NCAA tournament this season. He replaces former Indiana Mr. Basketball Steve Alford, who left to become head coach at New Mexico.
Lickliter's decision to leave the Bulldog program comes one day after he was named Division-one Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is the first Butler coach and the first coach from the Horizon League to be awarded the NABC's top honor.
In six seasons with the Bulldogs, Lickliter has compiled a 131-and-61 record.
Lickliter's two immediate predecessors at Butler, Barry Collier and Thad Matta, were also Butler graduates who left for bigger jobs. Collier went to Nebraska and Matta ended up at Ohio State following three seasons at Xavier.
Collier has since returned as Butler's athletic director and could become Lickliter's successor as head coach.
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