Report: Crum Approached by Miami

Monday, June 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) â€” Louisville basketball coach Denny Crum says a top booster at the University of Miami called him about the school's coaching vacancy, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported Monday.

Crum, the Hall of Fame coach who guided Louisville to two national championships, told the newspaper he was flattered at being approached as a possible successor to Leonard Hamilton at Miami.

``One of their prominent boosters called me,'' Crum said. ``He said the job's mine if I want it. I haven't had much time to think about it, but I take the offer seriously.''

Louisville sports information director Kenny Klein said Monday he was not aware of Miami officials contacting Louisville about Crum. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for the Miami basketball team said Monday the school had not heard about the report.

Hamilton agreed to a contract buyout with the Hurricanes on Sunday. He is expected on Monday to accept Michael Jordan's offer to coach the NBA's Washington Wizards.

Crum, 63, has been Louisville's coach for 29 seasons and led the Cardinals to national championships in 1980 and 1986. In the past two seasons, the Cardinals lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Crum signed an incentive-laden four-year contract extension in 1998 at a base salary of $353,702. Hamilton bought out a contract at Miami that would have paid him an average of $750,000 a year.

``They told me I would make more money than Leonard Hamilton was making,'' Crum told the Lexington newspaper. ``I've never had any interest in leaving here, but there are a lot of coaches out there who have not done what I've done, yet are making a lot more money than me.''