DRC.com Men's basketball: Steadman interviews for McNeese job 06:48 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 8, 2006 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas assistant men’s basketball coach Jai Steadman felt like his interview at McNeese State for the Cowboys opening for a head coach went well on Monday. Steadman will find out how well today. McNeese interviewed three other candidates along with Steadman for the opening that was created when Tic Price was fired and will announce its decision today. Dave Simmons, an assistant coach at Northwestern State, has been mentioned as a front-runner. Mississippi State assistant coach Robert Kirby and Charlie Fenske, who last coached as an assistant at Texas State, also interviewed. “I thought the interview went really well,” Steadman said Monday following his visit to the Lake Charles, La., school. “I am up against three really good coaches. At my age and for what I have been through, to be able to interview for a Division I job is a great honor.” Steadman graduated from Nebraska in 1997 and took his first job as an assistant at Tyler Junior College later that year. He made a stop at TCU before spending a year at McNeese in 2004-05. He then joined Johnny Jones’ staff at UNT before last season. Steadman took over as the Mean Green’s recruiting coordinator earlier this year and has helped land a series of transfers who are expected to be impact players at UNT, including forwards Curtis Muse of Mineral Area (Mo.) Community College and Roderick Flemings, a transfer from Oklahoma State. “It would be a great step in my career,” Steadman said. “To be a head coach on the collegiate level is something I have prepared for. I know I am ready.” Steadman credited Jones for preparing him for the opportunity to interview for the McNeese job. Jones already lost one of his assistants this offseason when Fred Rike left to become the head coach at Angelo State, a Division II school in the Lone Star Conference.