University of Pittsburgh officials are believed to be in the process of restructuring the contract of men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon.

Dixon was compensated $625,000 ($550,000 base package plus $75,000 in performances incentives) in his first season as head coach. Pitt is expected to increase his annual base package and possibly extend the length of the contract. The new deal could be announced as early as Monday once the lawyers for both parties review the details.

Dixon's assistant coach and ace recruiter, Barry Rohrssen, meanwhile, is one of the leading candidates to become the associate head coach at St. John's under Norm Roberts. Rohrssen, a Brooklyn native, is in line to receive a significant increase in pay from St. John's, which is serious about rebuilding its program. St. John's could offer Rohrssen more than double what he makes at Pitt.

Rohrssen is a well-connected coach in his native New York City and is responsible for bringing point guard Carl Krauser, forwards Chris Taft, Mark McCarroll and Dante Milligan as well as incoming freshmen Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin to the Panthers.

When the university hired Dixon last spring to take over for Ben Howland, executive vice chancellor Jerry Cochran's first phone call went to Rohrssen, who was on the verge of joining Howland at UCLA. The university's upper brass views him as a major component in the team's recent success.