Hofstra athletic director Jack Hayes promised a thorough coaching search last Thursday, the day after Tom Pecora agreed to leave the Pride for a five-year deal at Fordham.
Hayes promised he wouldn’t search for locals only. He promised he wouldn’t discriminate between assistant and head coaches. Basically, he didn’t appear the least bit fazed or frazzled, and simply said all the right things.
And then he went out and delivered.
Hayes and Hofstra, sources told The Post last night, came to terms with Tim Welsh, the former Providence and Iona coach who worked this season as an analyst for ESPN. The two sides left amicably at night’s end, and finalized the deal today in Hempstead.
It is believed that the pact is worth approximately $600,000 a year, which is roughly $200,000 more than Pecora made with the Pride. The deal is for five years.
Pecora is now making approximately $650,000 with the Rams.
Welsh, a New York native who took the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament once, and the Friars to the Big Dance twice, has local ties thanks to his days at the MAAC, and major conference ties, thanks to his days in the Big East.
In addition to Hofstra, Welsh, out of the coaching game for two years, was mentioned in connection with the Boston College as well as the Iona vacancies this week. Ultimately, he settled on a ready-made situation in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Pride, under Pecora, went 19-15 this season and advanced to the second round of the CAA Tournament. They were led by the conference’s Player of Year, junior guard Charles Jenkins.
Hofstra may have some logistical issues in the Virginia-based CAA, what with a New York school having to travel more than most area programs. But that is one of few drawbacks.
The Pride have good facilities, a winning tradition — installed by Villanova coach Jay Wright, and carried on by Pecora — and an affiliation with a league they can legitimately win every year.
It all added up for Welsh, who went 70-22 at Iona before heading to Providence for 10 seasons.
Welsh won a position that several high-caliber names were up for. NCAA Tournament veterans Mike Lonergan (Vermont) and Bob McKillop (Davidson) were considered. Up-and-comers like Quinnipiac’s Tom Moore as well as Pecora’s top assistant, Van Macon, were in the mix, as well.
In the end, Hayes took Welsh, perhaps the most proven of the bunch — a quality game coach who also has many connections inside the New York recruiting circles. For his career, Welsh is 215-148 with eight postseason bids.
With news of the agreement, it is expected that Macon will join Pecora’s staff at Fordham.
Even with the Pride’s decision, there are still two Division I coaching positions open in the area: Iona and Wagner. Welsh was a candidate at Iona, as well, but it is now expected that the Gaels close in on Fran Fraschilla, another ESPN analyst who has previously coached St. John’s and Manhattan.
Fraschilla, in town this week to broadcast the NIT at The Garden, could interview today in New Rochelle.
Additional reporting by Lenn Robbins
tsullivan@nypost.com