FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- After one season of attention-getting success at Kent State, Stan Heath was hired Thursday to replace fired Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson.

Heath in search of assistants

All along, Stan Heath planned to be in Atlanta this weekend for the convention of college basketball coaches. On Thursday, his objective changed. Instead of basking in his success at Kent State and watching the NCAA Final Four, he'll be trying to hire some assistant coaches for his new gig at Arkansas. In fact, he'll probably bail out of Atlanta before the championship game, swing through Ohio to pick up some things and be in Fayetteville by the middle of the week. Heath, 37, was named Thursday to replace Nolan Richardson, who was fired after 17 years at Arkansas. Richardson's assistants -- Mike Anderson, Brad Dunn and Wayne Stehlik -- are no longer on the Arkansas staff. Athletic director Frank Broyles said they will remain on the Razorback payroll for a maximum of six months. Anderson, who was with Richardson for more than 20 years as a player and assistant coach, was one of six interviewed for the Razorback position. Broyles had said earlier that if Anderson did not get the job, the new coach would be asked to keep Anderson on the staff. "In our negotiations with Nolan, we put in there that he (Anderson) would be the first one to be interviewed," Broyles said. "And, secondly, if he wasn't the one selected, that I would strongly appeal to the new head coach to keep him, for the continuity that's always been there, so that we have at least one of the previous staff. And I would make every effort to have him be the one that the new coach would consider." Heath said he "will absolutely try to track Mike down and have a conversation with him." But Heath said Thursday it was not clear whether there would be an opening on his staff. Plus, Anderson was reportedly going to interview for the Alabama-Birmingham job. "If one of my assistant coaches gets the head job at Kent State ... than that's an open position," Heath said. "I would certainly want to talk to coaches that have ties in the area, that have experience in this conference or at this level." -- The Associated Press

Under Heath, the Golden Flashes advanced to the final eight of this year's NCAA Tournament; they finished at 30-6 with their loss to Indiana in the South Regional finals.

At Arkansas, Heath will replace the only coach to lead the Razorbacks to an NCAA basketball title. Richardson was dismissed one game shy of completing his 17th year at Fayetteville. His tenure included one of the best runs in the nation in the 1990s.

As Heath was introduced, returning Razorback players sat on the second row at a Bud Walton Arena news conference. Chancellor John White passed out Heath candy bars to open the news conference.

Within a minute of announcing Heath's appointment, athletic director Frank Broyles led a crowd in a "Woo-Pig-Sooie" cheer. At the end, Heath turned to Broyles and said, "I've got a lot to learn."

Heath said he was honored to replace Richardson, calling him a pioneer for black basketball coaches.

"I'd like to thank Coach Richardson. He's opened up barriers. He's a leader," Heath said. "There's no question I wouldn't be sitting here today." He said he would try to get in touch with Richardson assistant Mike Anderson, who was passed over for the job.

The new coach said his team would play with "passion and excitement."

He said his style includes four staples: rebounding; defense; an exciting up-tempo style that "runs on makes and misses;" and execution, including free throws, clock management and concentration, especially late in the game.

Heath also said that, considering Arkansas' 20,000-seat basketball arena, the school should consistently be among the nation's best.

Arkansas was 14-15 last season, but Heath said that wasn't a sign that the Razorbacks had a poor program. "High standards had been set here," he said.

The new coach also said he talked to Richardson in a "personal conversation" before accepting the job. "I feel like Coach Richardson would want me to be here," Heath said.

White fired Richardson on March 1 for making comments that he and Broyles found disparaging to the program. Arkansas system President B. Alan Sugg upheld the firing last week.

Richardson had said publicly and, according to White, privately that he wanted the university to buy out the last six years of his seven-year $1.03 million a year pact. He also complained about fans and reporters and said he was treated differently because he is black.

Before joining Kent State last year, Heath, 37, was an assistant at Michigan State, Bowling Green, Wayne State, Albion and Hillsdale. He was with the Spartans when they won the 2000 NCAA championship.

"Arkansas has made a great decision," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "Stan has a great basketball mind and relates very well with kids. I've watched him grow this year, and I know he is ready to take over a tradition-rich Arkansas basketball program."

Former Razorback Joe Kleine, who served on the search committee, said Kent State's performance this year showed him that Heath could be a winner.

"He's proven that, with good players, he can coach," Kleine said. "He won't have any trouble getting the talent to Arkansas. That's what we need. Our program has taken a hit with a lot of negative press."

Richardson's lawyer, John Walker of Little Rock, said he was sure Richardson supported the new coach but said it would not affect the coach's stand that he was unjustly dismissed.

"It reminds me of Nolan Richardson, when he was hired 17 years ago. We're starting over with a relatively young man of good promise," Walker said.

Richardson had complained of unfair treatment because of his race, though age bias might now be another area on which the school is vulnerable, Walker said.

	Stan Heath is leaving Kent State and heading to Arkansas.

Arkansas is depending on Heath to parlay his one year of success at Kent State into continued good fortunes with the Razorbacks. Arkansas won the NCAA title in 1994 and made three Final Fours between 1990 and 1995.

"We have a coach here who can continue the great tradition of Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson," Broyles said.

Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy said earlier Thursday that Heath had told him Wednesday night that he would leave.

"You do not want to have coaches nobody else wants," Kennedy said. "In my opinion, Arkansas is one of the top five jobs in America."

"I love Stan Heath. I love what he stands for. I personally will miss him," Kennedy said.

Heath was one year into a five-year deal with Kent State that carried an annual base salary of $120,000 and incentives that could add $25,000 a year to the deal. Richardson's buyout after his firing is $500,000 per year for the next six years.

Heath said that, under him, Arkansas players would have to concentrate on academics as well as basketball. The school has been criticized -- even by White himself -- that it doesn't do enough to ensure student-athletes graduate. None of Arkansas' incoming freshmen class of 1994 graduated within six years, according to the latest NCAA figures available.

"I want to make sure that we address the concerns of the Razorback community and family," Heath said. "I want to make sure that once those issues are addressed, we step forward and move instead of standing still.

"The emphasis on graduation is going to be essential. They can excel in basketball and they can graduate," he said.

In Atlanta for a National Association of Basketball Coaches convention and the Final Four, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said Heath was one of those "hot young coaches" who has made a name for himself.

"He's an excellent recruiter, an excellent coach, who learned from one of the best in (Michigan State's) Tom Izzo," Smith said. "It'll be interesting. It's a pretty tall task there at Arkansas, but he's proven that he can get it done.

"He's had a chance to coach at Rupp Arena (in the NCAA South regional) so he's had a feel for what it's like in the SEC," Smith said. "I know coming in behind Nolan Richardson, he's got some big shoes to fill. Whenever you follow a legend, it's tough. I hope and wish for the best for him."

Originally, Arkansas' 14-member search committee was scheduled to meet Thursday and assess the half-dozen candidates who had interviewed. But late Wednesday night, "the committee gave (athletic director) Frank Broyles some leeway to do what he wanted to do," said committee chairman Tommy Boyer.

Boyer said the search committee members voted unanimously to recommend Heath.

"We found the best basketball coach in the country," Boyer said.

Heath was among a half-dozen coaches interviewed by the Arkansas search committee. He also traveled to West Virginia to inquire about the job that came open there when Gale Catlett retired.

Fresh from strong showings in the NCAA Tournament, Heath and Steve McClain of Wyoming interviewed the same day. Under McClain, Wyoming beat a well-regarded Gonzaga team in the first round.