Warriors assistant applies for UC Irvine job

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors assistant coach Russ Turner has applied for the head coaching job at UC Irvine and is hoping to get an interview with his old friend, athletic director Mike Izzi.

"I applied for the job and informed everybody with the Warriors that I did," Turner told SI.com. "I haven't gotten an interview yet, but I am hoping to get one soon."

Warriors general manager Larry Riley confirmed that Turner had told the club and said it was OK with them.

"Absolutely, we wish him luck," Riley said.

The UC Irvine position came open when Izzi did not renew the contract of Pat Douglass after 13 years. The Anteaters were 14-18 under Douglass this season, losing to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the first round of the Big West tournament.

Izzi and Turner are close from their days together at Stanford, where Turner worked from 2000-04. Izzi was at Stanford for 16 years, getting hired at UC Irvine in 2008.

Turner also has worked at Wake Forest and at Hampden Sydney in Virginia. He was a finalist for job openings at Loyola Marymount and at Furman.

Other candidates for the job are believed to be the University of Portland's EricReveno, who just interviewed for the opening at Boise State, according to The Oregonian; Kentucky Wesleyan's Todd Lee; and Concordia coach KenAmmann.