Lowery remains Southern Illinois head coach

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Southern Illinois University head coach Chris Lowery confirmed to the Daily Register on Friday that he would remain the Salukis' head coach, refuting an online report that he had reached an agreement to coach DePaul University in Chicago.

Lowery was in attendance for both semi-final games of the Region 24 Tournament in Ina, along with assistant coaches Lance Irvin and Marcus Belcher. The online report stated Lowery and Irvin would leave for DePaul as a packaged deal to coach the Blue Demons, who fired head coach Jerry Wainwright in January.

"I haven't signed anything," Lowery said. "I had parents asking me what I was doing and where I was going. I was shocked."

Lowery acknowledged that making any agreement with another university while under contract with Southern Illinois would be a breach of the $750,000-per-year deal that is set to expire in 2014. Punishments from a contract breach would have included forfeiting his remaining salary and would not have been able to coach in Thursday's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game.

SIU finished its season 15-15 with a 63-61 loss against Drake in St. Louis.

Irvin, who is in his second year with the Salukis and first as associate head coach, said he has not agreed to move to DePaul.

"I haven't signed anything and haven't talked to anyone (at DePaul)," Irvin said in between games. "I don't think Chris is a top priority for them."

Irvin mentioned that DePaul's top candidates include former University of Nevada Las Vegas and Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus and University of Texas El Paso coach Tony Barbee.

Southern Illinois' sports information director Tom Weber confirmed that Lowery was recruiting at a junior college in Oklahoma when the reported agreement was reached.

In a phone interview on Saturday, Athletic Director Mario Moccia said Lowery's word was good enough for him in regard to his recent travels.

Moccia has said in different interviews that Lowery's job at Southern is safe and that he expects him to return next season unless he took a job elsewhere. In the past, Lowery has been linked to job openings at power conference schools such as Oklahoma State, Michigan, Arizona, and now, DePaul.

"When you have good coaches that are wanted, it means you're doing a good job," Moccia said. "It's no surprise that people would be interested."

Lowery said he is looking forward to getting his alma mater back on track in 2011.

"We've got some good things coming in the future," Lowery said. "We had some kids do some dumb things at bad times, but they'll learn."