George Schroeder, and Paul Myerberg

USATODAY

North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips told USA TODAY Sports by text message Saturday night has agreed to a deal to become the next men's basketball coach at Ohio University.

Phillips will replace Jim Christian, who left Ohio on Thursday after two seasons for the same position at Boston College.

Phillips recently completed his seventh season at North Dakota State, a year capped by his second trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bison went 26-6, beating Oklahoma in the second round of the tournament before losing to San Diego State in the round of 32. Phillips went 134-84 overall at NDSU, winning two Summit League championships.

On Saturday afternoon before the Final Four games, Phillips was at AT&T Stadium wearing a green NDSU pullover and chatting with Wisconsin fans on the concourse.

His career has been intertwined with Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan: Phillips played for Ryan at Wisconsin-Platteville, graduating in 1995, and spent five years under Ryan as an assistant and the director of basketball operations at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Phillips received a five-year contract extension last year worth $175,000 annually, but North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor acknowledged that his coach would become a strong candidate for other openings after the Bison's 26-win season.

"We'll do everything we can to make sure it'll be hard for him (to leave)," Taylor said after NDSU's loss to San Diego State.