I've heard from two people that there is a connection between the open Fresno State job and former NMSU coach Reggie Theus. One saying that one side is interested and the other saying Reggie is interested.
I actually got ahold of Theus, but he declined comment until the end of the NBA season, which is a couple of weeks away for the Timberwolves.
My question for him and for whomever reads this blog is should Reggie come back and commit to being a college coach? I think so. While the money is more significant at the NBA level, it's a player's league. College hoops is all about the coach.
Reggie has that personality that can turn a market like Fresno or Las Cruces, New Mexico into a destination for top players. Don't know that he is the greatest x's and o's type of coach, but I think if you can recruit players that won't get your program into trouble, talent can make up for other shortcomings as a coach. Players want to play for coaches who played in the NBA, so that gives a guy like Theus an advantage over a lot of guys, certainly in the WAC and soon to be Mountain West.
Fresno's departure to the Mountain West following next season is another reason the Fresno State job would be a good fit for Reggie Theus coming back to the college game. Bigger league and more prestige could make for a nice resume builder for whatever comes next. But that's the question. Is he committed to being a college coach or is it just the next thing until another NBA head job opens up? I think if he does have interest in the Fresno job, it shows that perhaps he considers himself a college coach. Why would he leave a NBA staff if he didn't? College and the NBA are two different worlds so if he wants to be a NBA coach, staying on a NBA staff and paying your dues that way would be a quicker avenue than taking a job at a place like Fresno.
It certainly is an interesting storyline to see how the Fresno State job plays out.
21 comments:
I'm surprised he'd go to Fresno. I guess those coaches at Butler, VCU and Richmond are going to get the top tier college jobs. Theus is relegated to a few tiers below.
Theus is perfect for Fresno. He wins a few games and high tails it to another, better college program or heads back to the NBA.
I hope he gets the job, and at some point plays Menzies and the aggies.
Settle the debate on the cort once and for all!! Similar programs. Similar talent.
I think Theus wins!! Anybody else?
I think other Aggie fans with echo this; I wish Reggie Theus would come back to NMSU for Round 2, even if its for another two year stint because he left the basketball program so much better off than when he came in and Mezno has been riding his wake ever since into a "multiple-year contract extension." He was exactly what NMSU men's basketball needed and he revitalized the program; so much so that it hasn't been the same since he left.
I also know he wouldn't have guys like DeRouen committing just because they are home-town guys. He would tell them go to a junior college and get better and check back in two years.
He brought in talent because those players knew he could help them become better players and get to the level where they could be paid to play basketball. Guys who come to play for Menzies, on the whole, come because they will most likely get playing time because it isn't the deepest team in the NCAA.
If Fresno State gets Theus, they will be at the top of the MWC after one season.
Nice read. I think Fresno is a high potential job, with them moving to the Mountain West in 2012
They have a very nice arena, and fans will come if they win.
Although Theus is an "NBA Guy" as a coach the NCAA is where he belongs. He can and probably will be successful wherever he goes as long as if it's college ball. He can get the transfers to build a foundation and he can get the top recruits. He needs a program that can fit his style and personality. Look at Steve Lavin at St. Johns. I personally think Las Cruces and Theus wasn't a perfect match for a long term deal. It's a "this town ain't big enough for the two of us" kind of thing. I wish Theus well and hopefully we will see him down the road some day.
GO AGGIES!!!!
Third OT versus Boise St., WAC championship coach's first year, Menzies could have just called for a clearout so JY could take Noonan one-on-one (both freshman). JY scored 33 in Boise earlier that season. But Menzies left it to Reggie's legacy upper-classmen because it was the right thing to do. JHawk, among others, couldn't seal the deal. It's on them, not Menzies.
Reggie's WAC championship a year earlier? A walk-on from Albuquerque (TKnauber) and a freshman (JGibson) won that for NMSU on individual, incredible (unlikely?) efforts. For sure no x's and o's brilliance from Theus.
Reggie recruited some Big East talent out here but it's a different game. It will be fun to watch what he does in the Mtn West ... I just don't think he'd opt for a swansong in what's left of the WAC. Anybody scout UT-San Antonio, btw?
Don't coaches for VCU and Butler prove you don't need NBA guy to attract talent to a college quad?
Aggie007
Im sorry, I didnt realize that Reggie brought in players who were talented freshmen and who didnt transfer here simply because they werent a factor in their teams and they became centerpieces of the team here. I could be wrong but I do believe that Hawk, Peete, and Iti all came here because they werent exactly studs in their respective school and we werent exactly the deepest team in the NCAA. Also, I dont think any of them or other Theus recruits made it to the NBA, so its not like he pushed them toward a basketball career.
This is a great story but unfortunately it will only make all the fans who are in still in la la land clamor for Reggies return. I think that Reggie is a fine coach but he brings talent to offset his deficiencies and as we saw here, he didnt always care about whether talent came with baggage or not. If he did settle down in the college life I could see him becoming a coach like Neil was here, someone who brought energy to the program but ultimately will bring it more trouble than it can handle.
CA
Reggie is chomping at the bit to get back into the college game and here we are, ready to give an extension to the dumbest coach in America!!
Something's wrong with this picture!
Simple Aggie math, Reggie=13,000 fans > Menzies=3,000 fans. We need to have some fire on the bench. As heard all weekend VCU players feed off of their coach. How can we get anything out of menzies?
reggie will build a big time situation at fresno state. remember tark had it going there before he got out. that town is ready for that program to take off. the money is there, the desire is there and its in a strong recruiting state. he will be the mayor of that town like he was here. he will also get transfers in there quickly. he is a college coach, but an nba guy. meaning; the young nba guys are hard to coach cuz they think they know it all. young college players look at him as he knows how to get to that level. that is why he will be good there. good luck to him.
Theus can't put the ball through the hoop for Fresno any better than Alford can at UNM or Morrill can at USU. When Theus had Pan Am rocking in 2006 it was the peak of the housing bubble and that little white blimp was flying around dropping Phillipou promotions. Things have changed substantially - no where more so than in CA.
Teams like Fresno, Hawaii and Boise saw early on that you must invest heavily in football to see a return. Still angry we passed on Jerry Glanville expressed desire to coach NMSU, incidentally. Wait till Reggie's agent starts making the Bulldogs sharpen their pencils. They'll swallow hard at his salary/bennies pricetag because of football's budget. Unfortunately D-1 sports is a business and these kids are caught in the middle.
Menzies with a team of 4 and 5-yr seniors is about right for the state univ budget where profs make 11 grand less than at UNM. Menzies should cruise around handing out tix a la Steve Fisher for SDSU because the bubble economy has hurt attendance as much as Reggie's step up to the NBA. Funny that guys like the Maloof Bros. would buy into, and expand, the Reggie bubble until it burst. Best of luck, Reg!
Reggie will do well for Fresno sooner rather than later. Good thing MM won't have to worry about competing with Theus for a WAC championship. The two are probably similar from an x&o standpoint, but there is no comparison in the talent the two recruit. As for UNM, I bet Alford and Theus become rivals; they're both egomaniacs. Should be interesting.
Finally I see a positive in Fresno leaving the WAC.
-Aggie Glare
PS Anyone find it odd that a vastly underqualified RT was hired by the Sacramento Kings at a time when NMSU hoops was heating up and UNM was in the dumps, only to be fired 20 games into his 2nd season? I'd say the Maloof bros nailed it - UNM got Alford and NMSU lost Theus.
Hey Anon 1:34, it's great to see someone post on here that can think through things logically. Some of these posters are in lala land.
Do those Reggie lovers not remember he's the one that chose to leave? It's not like we fired him or ran him off. Hopefully we'll have an epic year next year and won't have to hear from the delusional part of the "fan" base.
Jason,
Looks like Theus will put the permanent brakes on the Fresno State opening. Lon Kruger is in the final stages of negotiations with U.of.OKlahoma to become their next HC, which ..drum roll ..........................................................................means Reggie Theus will be campaigning to be the next head coach at UNLV. Remember that he had it written into his contract that he would not have to pay a buyout if he left to three schools; USC, UCLA or UNLV; or if he left to the NBA. I was shocked he didn't get the USC gig. He will get the UNLV job.
What do people look at sometimes. Fred Peete was one of the best players coming out of JC when he went to K-State. He averaged 13pts a game. He left cause he wanted to win. When leaving he was recruited by other Big 12 schools. Hawk was the third leading scorer on a Utah team that played in the sweet 16. He started every game and had all- conference honors as a sophmore. He left cause he wanted to win. You see what happened to Utah when he left.
Reggie brought he good players and sure he isn't the best when it comes to x's and o's but he knows talent and he knows how to put them in a position to win. With the team he put together for Marvin its a shame they didnt get a auto bid to the tourney in 2008. He had the core guys from 2007 and freshman that were studs. Marvin has no clue.
I know this aint supposed to b a bash Marvin thing so back to Reggie. With time I feel Reggie will be a great coach at the collegiate level. He has everything that it takes.
Oh, cool.
There's a REGGIE NATION white T-shirt in my drawer that I never get to wear anymore. Seemed like a good idea to buy it at the time.
USC probably figurt now that another progam hired Tim Floyd they finally had the NCAA-sanctions monkey off their back for good? Maybe USC's thinking was another implusive hire of slick dressing snake oil salesman cast-off from the NBA wasn't the best fit for their program. But that M.O. works great in Vegas, baby!
You wonder if Theus ever wishes that he had stayed here at least a couple more years. He has not had any succees. He's coached at Sacramento and Minnesota, two of the worst teams in the NBA. Sure he has been paid, but people with his personality type have a huge ego, and want to see their name in lights.
Now he can't even get a job at his old school, which he thought he was a shoe in for. Real or perceived, his last 3 years of failure as a coach are outweighing his first two years in which he has had success. People don't think this guy can lead and coach.
If he would have stayed, the Aggies would have surely made the tournament the year after he left, and more than likely the year after that, since the Aggies made it there with Marv. That would have given him 3 straight tournament appearances.
How hot of a commodity would he have been then?
Reggie, the money might be greener on the other side, but the grass necessarily isn't.
Anon April 12:
That's a great 'what if' question. In the triple OT game versus Boise State in JY's freshman year (first year of Menzies) would Reggie have called the play to win one of those OT's ????
Anon 1:58
We'll never know. But Reggie was effective in the WAC Semis the year before vs BSU when he took out Coby Karl late in that game. Aggies went on to take Reggie to the Big Dance courtesy of freelance plays by Knauber and Gibson.
What does it say when UNLV takes a pass on making an offer?
Could Boston have Reggie come back and work for Marvin?
Reggie could probably go anywhere he wanted in the college game as a recruiter. Once again, the problem is his ego.
If I were him, I'd get on the UNLV staff as an assistant and recruiter. UNLV will be great again with the new hire. He is a very good coach. In a short time on the bench, Theus would be a hot commodity again.
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