Theus, Van Gundy are next in line
The former King meets with Geoff Petrie today; the ex-Miami Heat coach will interview Monday.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/184961.html
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, May 18, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6
Print | E-Mail | Comments (2) | Digg it | del.icio.us
As it stands, the Reggie Nation is a relatively small -- if not infinitely passionate -- country.
Reggie Theus, a Kings point guard when the team moved from Kansas City to Sacramento, has captured the hearts of most of Las Cruces, N.M., with his impressive two-year turnaround as the coach at New Mexico State, inspiring wins at a historic pace and pandemonium from a fast-growing fan base that loves its charismatic coach. But when Theus interviews today for the Kings' head-coaching position, he will look to expand his borders.
"When you have history with an organization, it's special," Theus said by phone. "For me, there's probably two or three places in your life where you consider yourself part of the fabric of the (area), where you have history with the fans, the people, the community, the administration. The Kings and UNLV have always been that for me."
Theus -- who has already interviewed for the Charlotte Bobcats' head-coaching position -- will be the second candidate to interview formally with the Kings. Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis met with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie on Thursday in a meeting that, according to News10, took place in Los Angeles.
Former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy told The Bee on Thursday that he is scheduled to interview with the Kings on Monday. Van Gundy has interviewed for the head-coaching positions in Charlotte and Indiana, and said he is very interested in the Kings' position, which became vacant when Eric Musselman was fired April 20 after one season.
"I wouldn't go anywhere to talk to anybody if I wasn't interested, and I would hope that Geoff wouldn't bring anybody in that he wasn't interested in," Van Gundy said from his home in Village of Palmetto, Fla. "So I think there's definitely a strong level of interest."
Theus, who played for the Kings from 1984 to 1988 and during his 13-year career became one of seven players to score at least 19,000 career points and tally 6,000-plus assists, received a contract extension from New Mexico State on May 10. But while there is a buyout clause in the contract, it does not pertain to the NBA, according to a source familiar with the contract who won't go on record for fear of repercussions.
With a base salary of $466,000, Theus would be the highest-paid coach in the Western Athletic Conference. He earned the raise from his previous base salary of $355,000 by taking a team that went 6-24 the year before his arrival to 16-14 in his first season -- the fifth-largest turnaround in men's Division I history.
In 2006-07, the Aggies went 25-9, winning the WAC tournament and competing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.
Among the first wave of six Kings coaching candidates, only Van Gundy has been a head coach for an extended period of time. Rambis was the Lakers' head coach during the lockout-shortened 1999 season, compiling a 24-13 record before his team was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals. He was replaced by Phil Jackson.
Van Gundy's Miami teams were a combined 112-73 from 2003 until he resigned on Dec. 12, 2005. The Heat went on to win the NBA Finals with team president-turned-head coach Pat Riley.
While Van Gundy consistently cited family reasons for his departure, there was widespread speculation that Riley forced him out. Van Gundy's 2003-04 team fell in six games to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while his 2004-05 team lost to Detroit in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. In a Bee readers' poll this week, Van Gundy garnered the most votes -- 41 percent -- among the candidates currently scheduled to meet with Petrie.
The others are former Kings assistant Elston Turner, Houston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Brian Shaw. The first wave of interviews will last likely through Wednesday.
Kings assistant Scott Brooks, also a candidate, had an informal interview with Petrie last Friday but is still expected to meet formally. There are expected to be more candidates, as the Kings have interest in numerous assistant coaches whose teams are still in the playoffs, and Petrie will not speak to them until their respective seasons have ended.
About the writer:
* The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at < ahref="mailto:samick@sacbee.com">samick@ sacbee.com.
The former King meets with Geoff Petrie today; the ex-Miami Heat coach will interview Monday.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/184961.html
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, May 18, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6
Print | E-Mail | Comments (2) | Digg it | del.icio.us
As it stands, the Reggie Nation is a relatively small -- if not infinitely passionate -- country.
Reggie Theus, a Kings point guard when the team moved from Kansas City to Sacramento, has captured the hearts of most of Las Cruces, N.M., with his impressive two-year turnaround as the coach at New Mexico State, inspiring wins at a historic pace and pandemonium from a fast-growing fan base that loves its charismatic coach. But when Theus interviews today for the Kings' head-coaching position, he will look to expand his borders.
"When you have history with an organization, it's special," Theus said by phone. "For me, there's probably two or three places in your life where you consider yourself part of the fabric of the (area), where you have history with the fans, the people, the community, the administration. The Kings and UNLV have always been that for me."
Theus -- who has already interviewed for the Charlotte Bobcats' head-coaching position -- will be the second candidate to interview formally with the Kings. Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis met with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie on Thursday in a meeting that, according to News10, took place in Los Angeles.
Former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy told The Bee on Thursday that he is scheduled to interview with the Kings on Monday. Van Gundy has interviewed for the head-coaching positions in Charlotte and Indiana, and said he is very interested in the Kings' position, which became vacant when Eric Musselman was fired April 20 after one season.
"I wouldn't go anywhere to talk to anybody if I wasn't interested, and I would hope that Geoff wouldn't bring anybody in that he wasn't interested in," Van Gundy said from his home in Village of Palmetto, Fla. "So I think there's definitely a strong level of interest."
Theus, who played for the Kings from 1984 to 1988 and during his 13-year career became one of seven players to score at least 19,000 career points and tally 6,000-plus assists, received a contract extension from New Mexico State on May 10. But while there is a buyout clause in the contract, it does not pertain to the NBA, according to a source familiar with the contract who won't go on record for fear of repercussions.
With a base salary of $466,000, Theus would be the highest-paid coach in the Western Athletic Conference. He earned the raise from his previous base salary of $355,000 by taking a team that went 6-24 the year before his arrival to 16-14 in his first season -- the fifth-largest turnaround in men's Division I history.
In 2006-07, the Aggies went 25-9, winning the WAC tournament and competing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.
Among the first wave of six Kings coaching candidates, only Van Gundy has been a head coach for an extended period of time. Rambis was the Lakers' head coach during the lockout-shortened 1999 season, compiling a 24-13 record before his team was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals. He was replaced by Phil Jackson.
Van Gundy's Miami teams were a combined 112-73 from 2003 until he resigned on Dec. 12, 2005. The Heat went on to win the NBA Finals with team president-turned-head coach Pat Riley.
While Van Gundy consistently cited family reasons for his departure, there was widespread speculation that Riley forced him out. Van Gundy's 2003-04 team fell in six games to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while his 2004-05 team lost to Detroit in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. In a Bee readers' poll this week, Van Gundy garnered the most votes -- 41 percent -- among the candidates currently scheduled to meet with Petrie.
The others are former Kings assistant Elston Turner, Houston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Brian Shaw. The first wave of interviews will last likely through Wednesday.
Kings assistant Scott Brooks, also a candidate, had an informal interview with Petrie last Friday but is still expected to meet formally. There are expected to be more candidates, as the Kings have interest in numerous assistant coaches whose teams are still in the playoffs, and Petrie will not speak to them until their respective seasons have ended.
About the writer:
* The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at < ahref="mailto:samick@sacbee.com">samick@ sacbee.com.
i'm laughing pretty hard because i think this was serious.
