Utah Utes basketball: Boylen says he plans to stay on as Utes' head coach

Utah basketball fans can relax, at least for a while.

Coach Jim Boylen was apparently close to being offered the head coaching job at Arizona, but when Sean Miller had a change of heart overnight, the Xavier coach was named as the new coach Monday afternoon.

As he was eating dinner prior to the Final Four game in Detroit Monday evening, Boylen confirmed that he was contacted late last week by Arizona officials and he understood that if Miller didn't take the job that he might have been next in line.

The Ute coach also said he wouldn't have necessarily taken the Arizona job if it had been offered.

"I would have had to sit down and look in the A.D.'s eyes," he said. "One of the big things for me is relationships and I have a great relationship with Dr. (Chris) Hill. I am happy to be the coach at Utah."

If money was the main factor, Boylen would have likely have been gone with at least a $2 million a year contract. Miller reportedly was offered a 7-year, $17 million contract that was sweetened by Monday morning after he reportedly turned it down Sunday night.

Boylen also said he had been contacted by Memphis, which named Josh Pastner as head coach Monday, but that he had no interest in the job. The 31-year-old Pastner is a former player and assistant at Arizona, who many fans and former players at Arizona wanted as their head coach.

A source in Arizona said that Boylen was on Arizona's radar because Wildcat athletic director Jim Livengood had been impressed with Boylen when the Utes and Wildcats played each other in the NCAA first round in Miami last month.

Boylen also confirmed that he has been talking with Utah officials about a new long-term contract that could be completed soon.

Boylen's initial five-year contract at Utah is worth approximately $600,000 a year.

"I am planning to be back at Utah and working my butt off," Boylen said.

E-MAIL: sor@desnews.com