Keating ends speculation, will become coach at Santa Clara

With offers from Santa Clara and Long Beach State on the table late Wednesday, Kerry Keating knew he was going to be a head coach soon. The only question was where. But the UCLA assistant ended all speculation Thursday when he reached an agreement with Santa Clara to become the next Broncos coach, CBS SportsLine.com has learned.

A formal announcement is expected in the next 48 hours.

Keating, a Seton Hall graduate, will replace Dick Davey, who spent 15 seasons as the Broncos coach before retiring. Santa Clara finished 21-10 and behind only Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference standings this past season.

The son of an administrator, Keating has worked alongside Ben Howland at UCLA the past four seasons. He had previously worked at Tennessee, Tulsa, Appalachian State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Seton Hall.