Saint Louis University basketball coach Rick Majerus has been given permission to speak with Southern Methodist University about their head coach opening, according to Tom Timmerman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Majerus reportedly asked for and received permission from Saint Louis athletic director Chris May to speak with SMU officials.

Reports have come out stating that SMU is willing to pay Majerus around $2 million annually as the school tries to rebuild its program after firing Matt Doherty on March 13. A salary around that level would more than double what Majerus currently makes to run the Billikens, which obviously explains his interest in potentially leaving Saint Louis.

Majerus was the long-time coach for Utah before taking a few years off in the middle of the previous decade. Saint Louis lured him back to coaching in 2007 with the opportunity to build up the Billikens program, and he did exactly that. In 2012, Saint Louis made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 1 Michigan State.

For more NCAA basketball coverage, visit SB Nation's college hoops hub.