• Photo Showcase: A look at the coaching career of new Creighton coach Greg McDermott

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• Video: New Creighton coach Greg McDermott speaks at his introductory press conference:



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Greg McDermott figured Bruce Rasmussen was just being nice.

Six years ago, McDermott's Northern Iowa basketball team suffered a bitter loss in the first round of the Missouri Valley tournament. McDermott was upset and angry and feeling a little sorry for himself.

He was milling around a hallway at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis when Rasmussen approached. The Creighton athletic director offered some words of consolation, as well as a promise.

If Dana Altman ever leaves Creighton, Rasmussen said, the first call would be to McDermott.

“I just kind of passed it off as Bruce trying to make me feel better,'' McDermott said. “But when we talked Saturday night, one of the first things he said was, ‘I told you that you'd be my first call.'''

That call, less than 24 hours after Rasmussen had learned that Altman was likely to become the head coach at Oregon, set in motion a whiplash-quick series of events that led to McDermott's introduction Tuesday as Creighton's 16th basketball coach.

McDermott and Rasmussen spoke at a press conference at D.J. Sokol Arena that also was attended by fans, Creighton staff and some of his new players. For those players, it was the first time they had a chance to see, hear and meet their new coach.

“I'm really excited,'' said Kenny Lawson, minutes after being introduced to McDermott. “I've heard that he's a player's coach and a great guy. I'm excited about working with him.''

That work began later Tuesday, when coach and players met to go through a conditioning workout in the Vinardi Center weight room. With finals next week, time is short to establish coach-player relationships that normally start during the recruiting period.

“A lot of guys will be going home after finals,'' Lawson said. “I think these next two weeks are really vital in establishing relationships and to come together as a team.''

McDermott agreed.

“We have to begin to establish relationships as quickly as we can and explain our vision to these guys,'' he said. “You hope that they share in that vision and they feel like they can fit into it and be a part of that. That starts this afternoon.''

The vision produced success at three of the previous four coaching stops for the 45-year-old McDermott. He started in 1994 at Wayne State College, where he led the Wildcats to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA Division II tournament appearances in six seasons.

He went 15-11 at North Dakota State in 2000-01 before returning to Northern Iowa, his alma mater. He took over a program that had gone 7-24 the season before his arrival and had it in the NCAA tournament in three years, beginning a string of three straight NCAA appearances.

He left in 2006 for Iowa State, where he has experienced some tough sledding. His four teams have compiled a 59-68 record, including an 18-50 mark in Big 12 play. A number of key players left the program. McDermott's job security was in question the final months of the past season, which ended 15-17.

None of that deterred Rasmussen when he set out to replace Altman, who had made Creighton what McDermott called the benchmark program in the Missouri Valley.

“You look beyond results,'' Rasmussen said. “I think (McDermott) did a great job at Iowa State with what he had, and he was putting together a solid foundation.

“Sometimes we judge people too much by the final score and we don't pay enough attention to the process. The process is very important. I judge people by what they do with what they have. Greg consistently has done a great job with what he's had.''

Rasmussen's first contact with McDermott, on Saturday night, led to a Sunday meeting in Des Moines, where the coach was offered the job. McDermott discussed the offer with his family — wife Theresa, sons Nick (20) and Doug (18) and daughter Sydney (9) — and with Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.

By midday Monday, McDermott called Rasmussen and accepted the job.

A process that takes some schools weeks to complete took Creighton less than 48 hours. At the press conference, Rasmussen disputed the idea that he rushed the search process.

“Even though it appears that this has been a quick process,'' he said, “in reality, Coach has been interviewing for this job the last 20 years.''

Because Altman had been sought by other schools throughout his time at Creighton, Rasmussen said he always was updating his list of possible candidates.

Names were added to the list over the years, others subtracted. The one that always stayed at the top, Rasmussen said, was McDermott's.

Rasmussen's only expectation when he placed the first call was that McDermott would answer the phone.

“He had a good job,'' Rasmussen said. “Did I expect him to come? No. That's why he wasn't the only one on my list and why I made other calls. He made no commitment to even to talk to me.

“He called back later and said, ‘Let's get together and talk.'''

Rasmussen said he knew the job would attract a lot of interest, and it did. He declined to say whom he contacted or who contacted him.

Creighton did not announce terms of McDermott's contract, although the coach said it is for 10 years. Neither McDermott nor Rasmussen would say how much the coach would be paid.

McDermott made $900,000 at Iowa State last season. Altman made more than $1.1 million in 2007, according to information Creighton filed with the IRS.

Some observers have suggested that the move to Creighton comes at a fortuitous time for McDermott, given his uncertain status at Iowa State. His contract there was to run until 2015.

“In life, you can't control timing,'' McDermott said. “When opportunities present themselves, you take a look at them and decide with all the information that you have whether this is something you want to do, is this something that is good for my family.

“The Creighton opportunity is something that would have intrigued me at any time these last nine years. Does that mean I would have taken it at any time? I can't say that.''

What he could say is that the offer came with the bonus of allowing him to coach his younger son. Doug McDermott had been sought by Creighton but decided to sign with Northern Iowa last fall.

The Panthers are coached by McDermott's good friend and former assistant, Ben Jacobson. Northern Iowa released Doug McDermott from his letter of intent Tuesday.

As a husband, McDermott knows how special it will be for his wife to see both father and son coming out of the same tunnel at Qwest Center Omaha.

“It doesn't get much better than that,'' the elder McDermott said.

McDermott works on finding staff

McDermott said it might take a few days to assemble his first Creighton staff.

McDermott hired two assistant coaches at Iowa State last week, Nick Nurse and Jeff Grayer. He said he expects to hear from them in the next 24 hours regarding their plans.

He said he also intends to talk with current members of the Creighton staff. One of Altman's former full-time assistants, Brian Fish, is joining him at Oregon. The other, Darian DeVries, has indicated he would like to remain at Creighton.

McDermott said Erik Crawford, who was Iowa State's assistant director of basketball operations, will accompany him to Omaha.

“All I know now is that Erik will be on my staff in some capacity,'' McDermott said.

Stinnett's status is unchanged

The status of suspended guard P'Allen Stinnett remains unchanged with the coaching switch.

McDermott said he intends to meet with Rasmussen and other staff members regarding Stinnett, a junior who was suspended in late January.

“I'll find out what has taken place to lead to that suspension and make a decision from there,'' McDermott said. “We only want guys here that want to be a part of this program and who will follow the core values that we set for this program.

“If he hasn't been able to live up to that, then maybe he can't be a part of it.''

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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• Video: Creighton players react to the hiring of new coach Greg McDermott:

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