Thomas Wolfe was wrong: you can go home again.
At least, you can if you're Dave Leitao, who appears set to return to the sidelines for DePaul.
The team's coach from 2002-05, Leitao left for a job with Virginia, ultimately getting bought out after four seasons. He then spent a season coaching in the D-League before joining Missouri and later Tulsa as an assistant coach.
And now he's headed back to DePaul, with the two sides agreeing to a deal on Sunday. The deal was first reported by ESPN and is believed to be for five years. The school's interest in bringing Leitao back was reported Saturday, two weeks after Oliver Purnell resigned from the position.
DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto released the following statement:
Following our search that garnered high-level national interest, we are excited to announce that Dave Leitao is our next men's basketball coach. His success here speaks for itself with three postseason appearances in three years with teams that energized our alumni and fans with their competitiveness and work ethic.
In his first run with DePaul, Leitao went 58-34, taking the team to the NIT twice and the NCAA tournament once. The program has not been back to the NCAA tournament since and hasn't finished above .500, overall or in the Big East, since 2006-07.
The initial reaction to the hire has been generally unenthusiastic, with insiders seemingly disappointed that DePaul didn't roll the dice with a new option. As @BigTenGeeks quoted from F. Scott Fitzgerald:
It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory.
Last year's 12-20 squad could return as many as 12 players, including leading scorers Billy Garrett Jr. and Myke Henry. They also have three three-star recruits incoming.