Shut This Down: Rob Murphy A Candidate For Kent State Job

Rob Murphy is not only an integral member of the Syracuse Basketball coaching staff but he's also our yearly theme song patriarch.

Without him, we would have no idea that we were supposed to take "it" and shut it in a generally-downward direction. Nor would we know that our business remains in an unfinished state. Point blank period, Rob Murphy is the Pied Piper and we are the rats following his tunes wherever he takes us.

Now, Kent State wants to take that away from us.

Syracuse University assistant coach Rob Murphy is among a handful of candidates for the vacant head coaching position at Kent State University, according to a college coaching source.

The source indicated that Kent State athletic director Joel Nielsen would interview Murphy "by phone if not in person.’’

What is it with Ohio? There's all that Akron business, we lose in the Cleveland Regional and now Kent State wants our coach? Remind me never to set foot there again.

Why does Murphy make sense for the position? He previously coached at Kent for two years as an assistant before coming to Syracuse.

The Golden Flashes have been pretty good the last couple years. They've won consecutive MAC regular-season titles and their previous coach, Geno Ford, just left to take the Bradley job.

Other candidates include Kent State assistant and current interim coach Rob Senderoff, Jayson Gee, Cleveland State assistant Jayson Gee; Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey and Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals.

Obviously it's a little too soon in the process to start thinking about how we replace Murphy but I do know a certain guy who's name rhymes with Berry Cracknamara who might be up for the job. Not so much on the rap song part, however.