ESPN Men's Basketball

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- If youthful energy, unwavering confidence and a great big grin can help Memphis stay in the top ranks of college basketball, Tigers fans will be happy with their new head coach.

Biancardi: First Things First

Josh Pastner's first order of business at Memphis is to try to retain as many of John Calipari's recruits as possible, writes Paul Biancardi. Story

"I'm excited. I'm energized. I'm pumped up. I'm jacked," Josh Pastner said Tuesday at a news conference to introduce him as John Calipari's successor. "I'm ready to rock 'n' roll."

Calipari left Memphis last week for Kentucky, casting a gloom over a program he built into a national contender over nine seasons. The search for a successor, which started to drag on longer than many Tiger fans expected, did little to lift their spirits.

Then late Monday, the university announced it had settled on Pastner, a 31-year-old assistant to Calipari who is regarded as a top recruiter.

Pastner said he was packing for Kentucky himself when an unexpected call came from Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson.

"There was no hesitation," Pastner said. "He gave me the opportunity and I jumped on it."

Pastner moved to Memphis after six years as an assistant at Arizona, where he had been a walk-on player. He said he decided to become a basketball coach as a teenager and played in college to gain experience that would help in coaching.

"I believe in myself," he said. "I've prepared myself my whole life for this."

Johnson said Pastner has a five-year deal worth $4.4 million.

After Calipari's departure, Johnson said he would hire a new coach who would "wow" Tiger fans and keep up the winning tradition at Memphis. Names that surfaced during the search included Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, Baylor's Scott Drew and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.

Johnson did not say if he offered the job to anyone before settling on Pastner.

"We did everything we said we would do with this search," Johnson said. "We checked out every viable candidate."

Pastner said he hadn't started working yet on selecting assistants.

"We're prepared to do whatever we have to do to keep this program going and give him the staff he needs," Johnson said.

Calipari was making about $2.3 million a year at Memphis and now has an eight-year contract with Kentucky worth nearly $32 million.

His departure left the makeup of next year's Memphis team in doubt, but Pastner said he was working on keeping the squad together. He said he was unsure if recruits signed by Calipari would to continue on to Memphis.

"Time will tell," he said. "If a guy doesn't come, we'll go find someone else. We want guys who want to be here. There are plenty of good players out there. You've just got to find them."

Pastner was Calipari's top recruiter and he played a similar role at Arizona under former coach Lute Olson.

During his time under Olson, Arizona averaged 23 victories a season and made six-straight NCAA tournament appearances. Memphis went 33-4 last season and made it to the NCAA regional semifinals.

In Tucson, Olson said he got a call from Pastner shortly after he got the job.

"It sounded like he was 10 feet off the floor," Olson said. "He said, 'We're going to play basketball like coach Calipari played and like we played at Arizona.' He's just really, really excited. He said, 'I don't care if I was the eighth guy they wanted, I'm just happy that I'm here.'"

Olson was asked if he thought Pastner would do a good job.

"I think he will," Olson said. "I always worry a little bit when guys get into that situation when they've had a limited amount of head coaching experience, but he's full speed ahead."

Josh Meyer, a national basketball recruiting analyst with Rivals.com, said Memphis is taking a gamble with Pastner, but he comes with a solid record as a tireless worker.

"He understands the ins and outs of recruiting," Meyer said. "He has a great network of connections."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press