Anderson Attending Funeral

Likely delaying the immediate clarification of Mizzou coach Mike Anderson's job status, Anderson on Tuesday afternoon was believed on his way to Tulsa, Okla., for a visitation and funeral service for a longtime friend.

Jim Pharr, whom Anderson has known since his days playing and assisting at Tulsa in the early 1980s, died Saturday - just two days after being with Mizzou for its NCAA Tournament game in Washington, D.C.

An obituary in the Tulsa World did not state the cause of Pharr's death. He was described as a longtime supporter of Tulsa athletics and lauded in the World by Anderson mentor and former Tulsa and Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson:

"There are people everywhere who treat you well because you're the coach. Jim wasn't like that. He was a genuine friend to me and my whole family. We watched many games and shared many laughs and tears. They just don't make Jim Pharrs any more."

Pharr's family was to visit with friends from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, and the funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m.

MU has been working to extend Anderson's contract for weeks. Anderson is believed to be a potential target of Arkansas, where he worked for 17 years with Richardson and which has had an opening for nine days.