ATLANTA — In a surprise move, Georgia has hired Nevada's Mark Fox to replace Dennis Felton as men's basketball coach.

Georgia will announce the hire at a news conference this morning, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the hire has not been officially announced.

Fox confirmed he was leaving, but didn't say where he was headed.

"I truly loved being the coach at Nevada and forever will cherish my time in this community," he said in a statement issued by Nevada's athletic department late last night.

The announcement is a surprise because Georgia athletic director Damon Evans was expected to interview candidates at the Final Four in Detroit, and Fox's name had not surfaced in reports of the search.

Fox led Nevada to a 21-13 record this season, his fifth straight 20-win season as the school's head coach. The 40-year-old Fox was 123-43 in five seasons at Nevada.

PENN STATE WINS NIT

Penn State coach Ed DeChellis met with his team a couple of hours before playing Baylor in the NIT title game at Madison Square Garden in New York and had only one request.

"Give me everything you have," he said. "If it's good enough, it's good enough; if it's not, it's not. Just leave it all on the floor."

The Nittany Lions certainly did. And it was plenty.

Jamelle Cornley scored 18 points and the scrappy Nittany Lions, chasing every loose ball and hustling for every rebound, outlasted the Bears, 69-63, last night.

Talor Battle added 12 points, all in the second half, for the Nittany Lions (27-11), who trailed 29-25 at halftime, but rallied and took a 43-37 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Danny Morrissey and never trailed again.

LaceDarius Dunn scored 18 points to lead Baylor (24-15).

ELSEWHERE

Seattle University: Coach Joe Callero is leaving Seattle University after a 13-8 record in the program's return to Division I competition, to take over at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California. Seattle athletics spokesman Jason Behenna told The Associated Press that Callero gave notice yesterday and was to be introduced today at a news conference in San Luis Obispo.

Southern California: Tim Floyd will stay on as Southern California coach, spurning an offer yesterday to become the coach at Arizona. "I listened, I heard what they had to say," Floyd said at a campus news conference. "But there is something really special about building your own traditions and your own history."

Tennessee: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has a newly renegotiated six-year contract keeping him with the Volunteers. Interim president Jan Simek and athletic director Mike Hamilton announced last night that Pearl had agreed in principle to the new deal. Details will be released within the next few days.