on the SIDELINES

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The future of Gene Keady as Purdue head men's basketball coach came into doubt Thursday, with reports pointing to a new job at San Francisco.\nHours after www.ESPN.com posted a report that Keady might leave Purdue for the coaching position at San Francisco, Purdue sports information director Elliot Bloom released a brief statement confirming that Keady had interviewed with the Dons.\nBloom's statement gave no indication of whether Keady may leave Purdue to replace Philip Mathews, who was fired by San Francisco earlier this month.\n"Basically, we know three things. San Francisco made contact with (Purdue athletic director) Morgan Burke, and (Keady) was granted permission to interview and he interviewed at San Francisco. That's what we know now."\nBloom said there would be no news conference Thursday, but the university did plan to release a statement about Keady on its Web site Thursday night.\nJay Cooperider, assistant athletics director of communications at Purdue, said a news conference might be held Friday.\nHe said Keady, who has one year left on his Purdue contract, interviewed Tuesday at San Francisco.\nFollowing Keady's previously scheduled team meeting Thursday, none of the Purdue players would comment about what was discussed, and Keady walked briskly across the basketball court and into his office.\nWhen Keady later left the building, a reporter asked him if he had made a decision about whether to leave Purdue. Keady replied, "No. I still work for Purdue."\nWhen asked if he had any comment, Keady said, "No thank you."\nBloom said Thursday's team meeting had been set for three weeks to give postseason awards.\nSan Francisco assistant sports information director Ryan McCrary told the Journal and Courier in Lafayette that Keady interviewed for the school's coaching job.\nBut San Francisco athletic director Bill Hogan declined to comment on the matter.\n"I can't comment other than I have interviewed a couple of good assistant coaches from UConn and from Arizona and that went well, and I look forward to continue to go through the search process," Hogan told The Associated Press.