Krzyzewski, Boeheim disagree with Thomas' consultant job

Two prominent college basketball coaches said Tuesday that they are uncomfortable with the consulting deal struck by Florida International University coach Isiah Thomas and the Knicks. "I am good friends with Isiah and I obviously like the Knicks, but I think it's better if there is a separation between college and the pros," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was in New York with Team USA. "I would decline to do something like that."

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim took it a step further. Not only would he decline, he said he's not sure the arrangement should be allowed. "I don't understand why it would be legal either way, from the college standpoint or from the NBA," said Boeheim, one of Coach K's assistants on Team USA. "It seems like a conflict. You're coaching kids and recommending them to pro guys. Well, if a pro guy comes in and asks about a kid and you're a consultant to a different team, you wouldn't be able to do that. You wouldn't be able to help that kid."

The Knicks announced Friday that they had hired Thomas to be a consultant. FIU athletic director Pete Garcia said on Friday that the school had no problem with the arrangement. The NCAA also has declined to get involved, citing a June 2001 rule interpretation that permits individual institutions to determine whether their employees can work with professional teams.

The NBA is investigating - it isn't clear exactly what Thomas' role as a consultant will entail - and could rule this week if it will be allowed.

The Knicks declined to make Thomas available for comment and Knicks spokesman Nick Brown said the team declined to comment.

There is at least one precedent where a coach has been allowed to work for both a college and professional basketball team. Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt was a consultant for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA from 2002 to 2005.

Boeheim said he could quickly see such a situation getting out of hand on the college level with every NBA team hiring its own college middleman coach.

"I don't think anyone is going to like that," he said.

Both he and Krzyzewski said college coaches already operate as unpaid consultants to coaches, sharing their opinions of various players as the draft approaches. "If the Warriors call you and the Knicks call you, you talk to both," Krzyzewski said.

Said Krzyzewski: "I don't think it would be right if the Bulls came and hired me as a consultant. Just because I don't think it's right for [North Carolina coach] Roy Williams and the rest of the guys in our league to have a coach do that. If you're going to coach in college, coach in college. If you're going to the pros, go to the pros."

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