Assistant coach Raphael Chillious could leave Nova as soon as tomorrow

Last offseason, Villanova hired DC-area AAU and High School coach Doug Martin onto the staff as an assistant men's basketball coach, replacing two-time assistant Doug West. Within a week of his official hiring, however, Dana O'Neill reported that she uncovered some inaccuracies in Martin's resume — leading to his resignation, but also to the import of high-profile Washington Huskies assistant Raphael "Coach Chill" Chillious.

Chillious is known as a good recruiter and his connections in the northeastern prep school world were a valuable asset for Villanova's Jay Wright. After just one season on the Main Line, however, Coach Chill may be on the move again. According to a Baltimore Sun report, the longtime college assistant is a finalist for the head coaching gig at Loyola University in Maryland.

Loyola is down to Chillious and in-house candidate G.G. Smith as finalists, with a plan to announce their next head coach tomorrow.

Chillious is no stranger to Loyola's area, having grown up in Olney, Maryland before heading off to Lafayette to play college basketball. Smith was an assistant coach on the staff of former Loyola leader Jimmy Patsos, who left to take the head coaching post at Siena a week ago.

Next season, Loyola will move from the MAAC to the Patriot League.

Loyola officials would not comment on their coaching search, but an announcement is scheduled for 2:30pm tomorrow at their on-campus arena. It isn't known at this time which of the two coaches the school will ultimately hire, but if Chillious leaves Villanova, it will be yet another offseason of the assistant-coaching shuffle on the Main Line.