HURRICANE, W.Va. -- Marshall athletic director Bob Marcum is still looking for a men's basketball coach.

Former Ohio coach Larry Hunter pulled out of contention Thursday, citing his commitment as an assistant coach at North Carolina State.

Hunter and Tulane coach Shawn Finney were reportedly the finalists to replace Greg White, although Marcum said another candidate has emerged as he continues to look for a coach for the Thundering Herd.

''It's not over until we come to a conclusion with regards to an individual that wants to be the head coach at Marshall,'' Marcum said Thursday at a fund-raising dinner.

Marcum declined to identify the latest candidate, except to say that he was a former coach ''and a pretty decent one.''

He said an announcement could come this weekend.

The Charleston Gazette had reported that Hunter and Finney were the finalists for the Marshall job, which opened June 3 when White abruptly resigned to return to his old job as coach at the University of Charleston, a Division II program.

Hunter interviewed with Marcum on Tuesday and Finney was interviewed Wednesday. One day later, Hunter withdrew from contention.

''After much deliberation and a sleepless night … I have reached a difficult decision to withdraw my name from consideration,'' Hunter said in a statement.

Marcum said he spoke to Hunter on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, when Hunter explained his decision.

''North Carolina State is a great position for an assistant coach,'' Marcum said. ''In a little more time, the itch will be there to get back into head coaching, but he just didn't feel that things were right at this particular time.''

Hunter had recruited some of Marshall's current players late in his 12-year stint at Ohio, which fired him after the 2000-01 season. He has a 509-224 record in 25 years as a head coach.

Finney is 39-51 in three seasons at Tulane. He did not return telephone messages seeking comment Thursday.