The College Baseball Blog is on top of this breaking news that Tim Corbin has, in fact, been heavily courted in the last week by the University of Oregon. Despite public denials, solid information but uncorroborated information indicates that Corbin has been offered the job and the opportunity to play with NIKE founder Phil Knight’s substantial checkbook. The offer almost certainly includes a massive paycheck, first-hand input on stadium construction with a budget of approximately $10 million and the veritable NIKE name. Furthermore, as Brett Hait of the Nashville City Paper notes, the departure of Chancellor Gordon Gee to Ohio State removed one of Corbin’s biggest supporters in the building of the Vanderbilt program into a national power. Nevertheless, Corbin has strong ties to the Vanderbilt community and advantages in place in Nashville. Among his closest friends is Basketball coach Kevin Stallings (whose son Jacob is believed to be the Commodores #1 recruiting target at Catcher). And Vice Chancellor and athletics czar David Williams remains the driving force behind improvements to Hawkins Field.Corbin has assembled a stellar and very well compensated assistant coaching staff led by recruiting coordinator Erik Bakich and former National Pitching Coach of the Year Derek Johnson. Corbin also values the ability to sell a globally elite education and a University endowment in excess of $3 billion that allows Vanderbilt to be among the most liberal universities in the nation for providing aid and grants to all students.
Corbin met with Vanderbilt officials Tuesday morning and is expected to withdraw his name or accept the job sometime in the coming days. In 2005 and 2006, Corbin was offered and turned down offers to take over Auburn and LSU’s programs after courtships. This past Spring, Corbin rebuffed interest from the University of Tennessee. Sources in the media (including Aaron Fitt of Baseball America and Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com) and in Nashville have indicated a belief that Corbin is more likely to remain a Commodore.
