ESPN Keeps Its Coach: Despite overtures from Marquette and coach Tom Crean, ESPN analyst and former coach Fran Fraschilla declined an opportunity to join Crean’s staff as an assistant coach. Crean had courted Fraschilla, a personal friend, to replace Jeff Strohm and help the Golden Eagles make the transition from Conference USA to the Big East. But ESPN pushed to keep Fraschilla, one of the network’s more seasoned analysts. Fraschilla had been an NCAA coach for more than 20 years as head coach at Manhattan, St. John’s and New Mexico. [7/04/05]