Mike Rice hasn't won a single game in a conference other than the NEC, but I'm still guessing if you were to poll the Rutgers fan base today, his approval rating would top 90 percent. And if you were to hold an election between Rice and Fred Hill, Rice would win in a landslide of Reagan-Mondale proportions.

And though Rice's resume is thin, the disparity -- at least in terms of quantifiable accomplishments -- is large to say the least:

Here's a rundown:

FRED HILL
Age: 51
Alma matter: Montclair State
First coaching gig: Assistant at Montclair State in 1981-82
Career highlights: Recruiting Mike Rosario, beating Georgetown last year at the RAC
Career record: 47-77 (13-57 in the Big East)
Recent claim to fame: Went bonkers at a Rutgers-Pitt baseball game, then ignored AD Tim Pernatti's orders to stay home for the remainder of the series.

MIKE RICE
Age: 41
Alma matter: Fordham
First coaching gig: Assistant at Forham in 1991-92
Career highlights: Ended 17-year NCAA tournament drought at Robert Morris; went to postseason all three years at RMU
Career record: 50-18 (31-5 in the NEC)
Recent claim to fame: Took second-seeded Villanova to overtime in first round of the NCAA tournament, nearly pulling off one of biggest upsets in NCAA history