Re-read my edit above.
She never announced anything during the search. You are referring to rumors about her going after Shaka (which were true, she did offer the job and discussed it briefly in the post Gottfried hiring presser) and Gregg Marshall (nothing confirmed, just widely held belief), and Rick Barnes and Sean Miller (again, she never mentioned them).
Her comments about Williams were made after she hired Gottfried, not before.
Again, she made no communication during the hiring of Gottfried precisely because of what Fowlup did in the prior search. She cant stop the rumor mill.