If not Saunders, could the next coach be Reggie Theus? His name is drawing speculation on a short list that includes Tony Bennett and former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery. Pressed for a guess as to who the next coach will be, a source said, “Reggie Theus.”
Theus played 13 seasons in the NBA. He’s one of several players in league history to score over 19,000 points and have more than 6,000 assists.
Theus, 49, ended his NBA career in 1991. Articulate and good looking, Theus appeared on Saturday morning TV’s “Hang Time,” portraying coach Bill Fuller.
Later Theus decided on a coaching career and joined Rick Pitino’s Louisville staff. He quickly made a reputation for himself as an outstanding recruiter.
Two years ago former Minnesota Athletic Director McKinley Boston had a basketball program with a 6-24 record at New Mexico State. As the Aggies’ athletic director he decided to hire Theus after interviewing him and receiving a strong endorsement from Pitino. “Rick shared with me that he thought he had great upside,” Boston told Sports Headliners during an interview earlier this week.
Theus has given Boston no reason to regret his decision. Theus’s first team was 16-14 and this season the record is 22-8, including 11-5 in the Western Athletic Conference, a second place finish.
Boston said Theus has a “five-year roll over” contract and his compensation package is in the $350,000 to $450,000 range. Other schools are expressing interest in Theus, but Boston said, “I think I would lose him quicker to the NBA than I will to the collegiate programs.”
The contract stipulates that if Theus leaves the Aggies during the next three years he must pay a penalty clause. “It’s definitely six figures,” Boston said. “It’s significant.”
Boston also said Minnesota hasn’t contacted him to ask permission to talk with Theus, nor has his coach mentioned a contact. Boston acknowledged, though, it’s commonplace for coaching candidates to be contacted directly by search firms or agents.
Would Boston be surprised to see Theus at Minnesota? “Yes, I would be,” he answered. “Just based on conversations that we have had I never got the impression that’s an area, a location (of interest), or that he would be interested in recruiting to. But who knows? People change their minds.”
At Minnesota Theus could earn at least three times his compensation at New Mexico State. He would also coach in the more prestigious Big Ten Conference but Boston said Theus believes he can win a national championship with the Aggies and that his coach’s next stop is likely the NBA.