http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/434654.html
Theus truly will be homecoming King tonight
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:08 am PDT Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C3
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Sure, Reggie Theus would draw attention from the NBA, maybe even be considered for a few jobs that could whisk him away from New Mexico State. But the interviews in Charlotte and Sacramento would be the end, and the result – or so the locals thought – would be Theus back with his Reggie Nation backers inside a harmonious and raucous Pan American Center.
Dream job offered. Theus gone.
Officially, the first-year Kings coach returns tonight for an exhibition game against Dallas in which he'll continue evaluating his squad. In truth, Theus returns to pay respects to a community that served him well.
"In my history, my stay in Las Cruces is going to go down in the tops in terms of relationships, accomplishments, and the steppingstone for me to be here (in Sacramento)," Theus said. "I'm expecting my friends and everybody to be pretty excited about me coming back, bringing the team back, and about seeing an NBA game. ... It's going to be exciting."
As of Monday evening, a reported 7,000-plus tickets had been sold for a venue that holds 12,482. It only made sense, then, that Theus – so beloved by this student body for his passion and interaction – would attempt to spark support for an event on campus. Some things never change.
"I've been fighting pretty hard for them to let the students get in free," Theus said. "(The students) are used to coming to see the games for free. I know at least 2,500 loyal student fans who would be there. To them, five bucks is a lot."
The Aggies went 6-24 the season before Theus' arrival, then went 16-14 under him the following season in what was the fifth-best turnaround in NCAA Division I history. His final season, though, was the legacy maker, as New Mexico State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999 and his recruiting prowess earned national praise.
That is, as it turns out, his parting gift. The recruiting class he left behind was ranked third among mid-major schools by Rivals.com. Most notably, it included Herb Pope, a five-star forward and McDonald's All-American from the Pittsburgh area who shunned interest from Maryland, Oklahoma and Texas to follow Theus. Much to the delight of Aggies fans, Theus' replacement, Marvin Menzies, was able to retain the players Theus worked so hard to attract. Much to Theus' delight, Menzies will allow him to address his former team as a group before tonight's game.
"The toughest thing for me was my players; that was really tough," said Theus, who still owns a home in Las Cruces and has been back twice since June for dove hunting trips with friends. "There were a couple people crying. My players were very emotional.
"They understood, but it was a tough thing."
For the fans, too. Theus became a cult figure on campus, with students wearing "Reggie Nation" T-shirts and the coach reaching the peak of local celebrity. His name was even compared to that of Lou Henson, a New Mexico State alum and former coach who won three state championships at Las Cruces High School and later led the Aggies to their only Final Four appearance in 1970.
"(The Aggies fans) gravitated to (Theus) pretty quickly," said Kings assistant Randy Brown, a New Mexico State alum. "New Mexico State already had crazy fans. But the aura he had about himself helped, and they knew the history of Reggie Theus. ... The fans took to that, and they just ran with it."
Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said Theus' reputation on campus and in the community factored into the team's decision to hire him. Maloof had a reliable source to learn about that element, too, as his uncle, Pat Gavin, is a lifelong Las Cruces resident and Aggies booster.
"He was a source for us, and he would say how (Theus) turned the whole program around, how his following was probably second to Lou Henson," said Gavin Maloof, whose first name also is his mother's maiden name. "He turned that whole program around.
"That's why I hired him as a coach – because I saw what he did to that program."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Theus truly will be homecoming King tonight
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:08 am PDT Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C3
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Sure, Reggie Theus would draw attention from the NBA, maybe even be considered for a few jobs that could whisk him away from New Mexico State. But the interviews in Charlotte and Sacramento would be the end, and the result – or so the locals thought – would be Theus back with his Reggie Nation backers inside a harmonious and raucous Pan American Center.
Dream job offered. Theus gone.
Officially, the first-year Kings coach returns tonight for an exhibition game against Dallas in which he'll continue evaluating his squad. In truth, Theus returns to pay respects to a community that served him well.
"In my history, my stay in Las Cruces is going to go down in the tops in terms of relationships, accomplishments, and the steppingstone for me to be here (in Sacramento)," Theus said. "I'm expecting my friends and everybody to be pretty excited about me coming back, bringing the team back, and about seeing an NBA game. ... It's going to be exciting."
As of Monday evening, a reported 7,000-plus tickets had been sold for a venue that holds 12,482. It only made sense, then, that Theus – so beloved by this student body for his passion and interaction – would attempt to spark support for an event on campus. Some things never change.
"I've been fighting pretty hard for them to let the students get in free," Theus said. "(The students) are used to coming to see the games for free. I know at least 2,500 loyal student fans who would be there. To them, five bucks is a lot."
The Aggies went 6-24 the season before Theus' arrival, then went 16-14 under him the following season in what was the fifth-best turnaround in NCAA Division I history. His final season, though, was the legacy maker, as New Mexico State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999 and his recruiting prowess earned national praise.
That is, as it turns out, his parting gift. The recruiting class he left behind was ranked third among mid-major schools by Rivals.com. Most notably, it included Herb Pope, a five-star forward and McDonald's All-American from the Pittsburgh area who shunned interest from Maryland, Oklahoma and Texas to follow Theus. Much to the delight of Aggies fans, Theus' replacement, Marvin Menzies, was able to retain the players Theus worked so hard to attract. Much to Theus' delight, Menzies will allow him to address his former team as a group before tonight's game.
"The toughest thing for me was my players; that was really tough," said Theus, who still owns a home in Las Cruces and has been back twice since June for dove hunting trips with friends. "There were a couple people crying. My players were very emotional.
"They understood, but it was a tough thing."
For the fans, too. Theus became a cult figure on campus, with students wearing "Reggie Nation" T-shirts and the coach reaching the peak of local celebrity. His name was even compared to that of Lou Henson, a New Mexico State alum and former coach who won three state championships at Las Cruces High School and later led the Aggies to their only Final Four appearance in 1970.
"(The Aggies fans) gravitated to (Theus) pretty quickly," said Kings assistant Randy Brown, a New Mexico State alum. "New Mexico State already had crazy fans. But the aura he had about himself helped, and they knew the history of Reggie Theus. ... The fans took to that, and they just ran with it."
Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said Theus' reputation on campus and in the community factored into the team's decision to hire him. Maloof had a reliable source to learn about that element, too, as his uncle, Pat Gavin, is a lifelong Las Cruces resident and Aggies booster.
"He was a source for us, and he would say how (Theus) turned the whole program around, how his following was probably second to Lou Henson," said Gavin Maloof, whose first name also is his mother's maiden name. "He turned that whole program around.
"That's why I hired him as a coach – because I saw what he did to that program."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
