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Josh Pastner was officially recommended as assistant coach at Memphis today, ending a nearly 12-year association with the Arizona Wildcats basketball program. His hiring is only subject to the approval of the school and Tennessee State Board of Regents.

Pastner, 30, will fill one of two openings on John Calipari's Tigers staff, serving as the program's top recruiter. Calipari lost two assistant coaches, Derek Kellogg (Massachusetts) and Chuck Martin (Marist), to head coaching jobs elsewhere after the Tigers reached the Final Four last season.

"We are excited that Josh is joining our staff," Calipari said in a Memphis statement "To add a coach with the experience and success Josh has is a plus for our program and the University. We are always looking to move forward and improve our basketball program in every way, and I believe Josh can help us to do that."

The move comes with mixed feelings for Pastner, who arrived in Tucson as a walk-on freshman guard and worked his way up as a undergraduate assistasnt coach, video coordinator and assistant coach.

"I love it here but this is an opportunity to stretch my wings," Pastner said. "It's very mixed emotions. This is my home. This is the most charitable community in the world. The people here are the best. My best friends are here. But maybe down the line, 20 or 30 years down the line, I have a chance to come back."

From the first days of his arrival in Tucson, Pastner made it clear he wanted to be a coach, working in off-hours with then-UA standout guard Mike Bibby, while he accelerated his studies in the classroom.

Pastner earned an undergraduate degree in two and a half years and a master's in another year. He then became an undergraduate assistant coach after his playing eligibility expired in 2000-01 and served as an administrative aide in 2001-02.

When Jay John left in the spring of 2002 to become head coach at Oregon State, Pastner stepped into a fulltime assistant coaching role. He became the program's top recruiter, while also working with UA big men and scouting opponents.

"Josh has been intimately involved with this program for 10 years," UA coach Lute Olson said in Pastner's media guide biography last season. "He has been an excellent addition to the staff and his tireless efforts continue to benefit the program on the court and off."

Pastner played a significant role in landing virtually every one of UA's key players over the past several seasons. While Olson did much of the recruiting work himself on Chase Budinger, Pastner also developed a key relationship with Trent Suzuki, Budinger's personal trainer and confidant.

Pastner is well-connected in recruiting circles all over the country. But with Memphis, Pastner's especially strong recruiting connections in Texas and Louisiana could prove pivotal. The job could also position Pastner to get a head coaching position somewhere in the region within the next several years.

But no matter what happens, Pastner said he will always have an eye on McKale Center.

"Who knows?" Pastner said. "I hope to be able to come back because I love this place. My heart will always be here."