The Missouri Tigers want Matt Painter from Purdue, but they also want an answer quick. On Tuesday, a meeting took place in Florida, where Painter was vacationing. Director of Athletics Mike Alden flew down on a private plane with at least three other officials from the University of Missouri and returned to the Jefferson City airport at 5 p.m. Earlier on Tuesday there were reports that Painter may be on the plane joining Alden, but it was later reported that he was heading back to Indiana with his family to ponder his decision.
The offer that Missouri is reportedly offering is the same $2 million/seven year deal that was on the table for Mike Anderson. However, sources close to Painter say a move from his alma mater is more than just his salary. He wants to make sure that Missouri would be committed to taking care of his assistants and giving him full support in recruiting.
Missouri would like to be able to make an official by Friday, ahead of the Final Four games on Saturday. Many close to Painter don’t expect him to make a quick decision.
