Apr 6, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin (right) instructs center Enes Kanter (0, left) against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 130-102. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

According to reports surfacing this week, former Utah Jazz coach and player Tyrone Corbin is in play for the head coaching position at DePaul. Corbin, a standout player for the Blue Demons from 1981 to 1985, was a team captain for coaches Ray and Joey Meyer and was twice named an AP All-American honorable mention during that time.

The position at DePaul opened up following the resignation of Oliver Purnell, who coached DePaul to five straight losing seasons. The team finished 12-20 this season, bringing Purnell’s record with the program to 54-105.

Should Tyrone Corbin go back to DePaul, that would be a great story. Hope the best for Coach Corbin. — David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) March 20, 2015

As head coach of the Utah Jazz, Corbin finished with a record of 112-146. He led the team to a playoff berth in 2012, but the Jazz were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. Earlier this season, Corbin served as interim coach of the Sacramento Kings following the dismissal of Mike Malone. Corbin was replaced by George Karl after compiling a 7-21 record for Sacramento.

One man who has advocated for the Corbin hiring is fellow DePaul alum and former Jazz teammate Stephen Howard. In a piece by Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times, Howard pointed out the advantages of bringing Corbin on as coach of the Blue Demons:

“Tyrone Corbin is interested in the job and I think he would be a great fit. He’s a former head coach in the NBA and part of the heyday of DePaul University. With him involved, it would be easy to create a marketing campaign describing where DePaul was when he was there and how he’s going to take them back there. That will create a buzz and a feeling of nostalgia.”

Howard and Corbin played together for the Jazz during the 92-93 and 93-94 seasons. After playing two seasons in Italy and France, Howard returned to Utah in 1996 and was a member of the team that faced the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 NBA Finals. Corbin was with the Atlanta Hawks at the time.

While competition for the DePaul job could be stiff, I, for one, wish for nothing but the best for Corbin. He has always been the consummate professional and a quality individual. In my estimation, he has the potential to become a fine coach for his alma mater.

Stay tuned to Purple & Blues for more on this story as it develops.