FORT COLLINS — Colorado State recently had extensive discussions with Becky Hammon about becoming its next head men’s basketball coach, but the former Ram ultimately decided to remain in the NBA as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, a university source has told the Reporter-Herald.

It’s unknown if the discussions went as far as contract negotiations, the source said, but the two sides did talk about everything the job would entail.

Hammon, the first full-time female assistant coach NBA history, has been linked to the opening ever since it became clear that Larry Eustachy would no longer be the program’s head coach last month. Eustachy was ultimately forced to resign on Feb. 26 before the end of his sixth season with the program in the midst of the school’s second internal investigation of him in the past four years.

After having the greatest career in CSU women’s basketball history from 1995-99 in which she was named an All-American, Hammon played 16 seasons in the WNBA and was named an All-Star six times. She is now in her fourth season with the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant for Gregg Popovich, and within the past year she has been connected with the head women’s coaching job at the University of Florida and the general manager position with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Although it no loner appears to be an option at this point, CSU athletic director Joe Parker said two weeks ago that he would be open to hiring a female head coach.

“I’ve thought a lot about that,” Parker said. “The most frequently recommended candidate probably. I’m not closing the door on any thought at this time.”

Prentiss Nixon, who led the Rams in scoring this past season as a junior, said he would have no problem playing for Hammon.

“It’s no different if it was a male head coach,” Nixon said after the Rams’ loss to Utah State in the first round of the Mountain West tournament last week. “We’ve got to respect her, listen to what she has to say, listen to her philosophy, play hard when you step on the court. No matter if it’s male or female, you still have to go out and play basketball at the end of the day.”

Parker said he’d like to make the hire by the end of the month, and since then several candidates have emerged as the favorites to replace Eustachy. Justin Michael of insidetheseams.com reported Thursday that former Georgia coach Mark Fox is in negotiations with CSU to land the job.

Other top candidates include Oklahoma assistant Chris Crutchfield, South Dakota head coach Craig Smith and Drake head coach Niko Medved.

Sean Star: sstar@reporter-herald.com or twitter.com/seanvstar