CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — exploreClarion has learned the names of the three finalists for the Clarion University men’s basketball jobs with all three scheduled to be on campus between Friday and Monday.

(Photo from left: Jamon Copeland, Jordan Fee and Chris Bess are the finalists for the Clarion University men’s basketball coaching job)

The finalists are Jamon Copeland, the former men’s head coach at UT Tyler, Jordan Fee, the assistant coach at Nova Southeastern who is a former Clarion University graduate assistant coach, and Chris Bess, the women’s assistant coach at Edinboro.

Copeland resigned in February from his post at UT Tyler, which is in the process of transitioning from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II. He was 72-82 in six years at UT Tyler, including 8-17 this past season. His best year at the school was 17-9 in 2017-18. Prior to taking the head coach at UT Tyler, Copeland was the head coach at Ave Maria University, an NAIA school in Florida. His overall record as a head coach is 144-138.

Fee, a Grove City, Pa., native, is the top assistant at Nova Southeastern in Florida and helped that school to the NCAA Division II Elite 8 this past season and a 29-4 overall record. It was Fee’s fourth season at Nova Southeastern.

Prior to going to Florida, Fee, the son of legendary Grove City High School head coach Don Fee, who won over 400 games at Grove City, Fee spent two years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Detroit-Mercy. He was the graduate assistant coach at Clarion for legendary head coach Ron Righter, the winningest coach in school history, in 2013-14. He also served one year as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, West Liberty, in 2012-13, helping the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Division II semifinals that season.

Bess completed his first year as the women’s assistant coach at Edinboro after spending five years as the men’s assistant coach for the Fighting Scots.

This past season, the Edinboro women went 20-9 and qualified for the NCAA Divison II Tournament.

Bess, a former player for Edinboro’s men’s team, started his tenure at Edinboro on the men’s side in 2013-14 and in 2017-18 helped the Fighting Scots to an 18-11 record and the PSAC Semifinals. He began his coaching career as the assistant coach at Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, his alma mater.

The University originally planned on bringing in four coaches for on-campus interviews, but exploreClarion has learned that currenr Notre Dame (Ohio) head coach Tim Koenig withdrew from consideration this week.

Public open forums with each candidate will be held Friday and Monday. While the University hasn’t announced which candidates will be at which forums, exploreClarion has learned that Fee and Bess will be on campus Friday and Copeland will be on campus. Monday. For times and locations of the forums, click here.

The men’s basketball job became open in March when Clarion elected to not renew the contract of Marcess Williams after five years at the helm. The Golden Eagles were 6-20 this past season.