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Theus interested in Arizona job

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09:38 AM ET 04.04 | We know who doesn't want the University of Arizona basketball coaching job. Southern California's Tim Floyd. Oklahoma's Jeff Capel. Xavier's Sean Miller. UNLV's Lon Kruger. Gonzaga's Mark Few . . . Need we go on? But is there anyone who wants the job? Former NBA star and Sacramento Kings and New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus, who made a name for himself as Rick Pitino's lead recruiter at Louisville, said Friday he was "absolutely interested" in the Arizona job, one he called one of the best in the country.

Arizona Republic

Reggie Theus, Noah Graham/Getty Images Reggie Theus, Noah Graham/Getty Images
April 4, 2009  09:54 AM ET

he wouldn't be coming on the cheap.....
not sure if he's the best candidate out there.
I'd take my time if I were Arizona-
it's a GREAT & DESIRABLE job.

Comment #2 has been removed
April 4, 2009  12:38 PM ET

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.

And the 25 straight NCAA appearances are a JOKE. They didn't deserve to be in either last year or this year at the very least.

April 4, 2009  01:09 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.And the 25 straight NCAA appearances are a JOKE. They didn't deserve to be in either last year or this year at the very least.

Well, isn't that the same with Syracuse then? Or UConn? Most of their success has come under the current coaches. Sorry, but Syracuse's two titles before the Great Depression do NOT make give it a basketball-rich tradition. You could even make the same argument for Duke, using your logic. Now, I'm not trying to say Arizona is in Duke's class, but the name does carry some cache, recruits flock there... do you really think Brandon Jennings would have turned down the chance to be the next great one at Point Guard U if he had the SAT scores to get in? The recent defects are strictly due to Lute Olson's personally problems, and the uncertainty if he'd be there or not. Similar situation to when a coach leaves for another school- you don't know what you're going to get, so you go somewhere else. Theus has proven he can recruit, he has coaching experience, he should be able to bring in both the big names and the depth that Arizona has been accustomed to prior to the last 3 years.

So, Arizona, go for the home run. If you think that's Theus. You're a basketball school. You're certainly not a football school, at least.

April 4, 2009  01:15 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.

Oh I disagree-
its now a firmly established program....100% because of lute
- it'd be almost impossible to fail there

you're right there WAS no history- but it's been more than a 'few'
years of being a top program- it's been like 20+

April 4, 2009  02:11 PM ET

I was going to say wrap it up Arizona. He's your man. then I realized it said Theus not Jesus.

April 4, 2009  02:47 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.And the 25 straight NCAA appearances are a JOKE. They didn't deserve to be in either last year or this year at the very least.

Not an Arizona fan, but I'm sure the so called experts with disagree with your idea that Arizona doesn't have a really good basketball tradition.

If by the fact the Olsen is gone and thus their tradition, its probably equal to that of UCLA. How long has Wooden been gone? He was/is pretty much UCLA's tradition, don't ya think?

Plus, if they were so bad this year, didn't they do about as well?

Some coaches are staying away, because Lute Olsen has poisoned the water a bit. They should have just kept on O'Neill, but Olsen still wields a bit too much influence, even though it should have been a rather seamless transition. Olsen seems like an angry dude to me, and let his personal issues cloud his judgment.

Based on how UCLA was smoked in the second round, and barely beat VCU in the first, that perhaps they shouldn't have been in the NCAAs.

April 4, 2009  02:48 PM ET
QUOTE(#6):

I was going to say wrap it up Arizona. He's your man. then I realized it said Theus not Jesus.

LOL..I would think they could do better than Theus though. Maybe he's a genius.

April 4, 2009  02:51 PM ET

Plus, basketball tradition doesn't necessarily mean since the 1900s, I'm sure most people look at a more modern tradition, say the past 20 years, which would include the Arizonas, Georgetowns, Syracuses, among others. Some 17 year old kid is going to care less if a team has a richer tradition that another one if both schools have been good recently. I mean really, how rich of a tradition did Memphis/Memphis State have before Calipari, and they had a great class coming in, before he left. Kids don't care about this stuff.

April 4, 2009  02:58 PM ET
QUOTE(#2):

Dude's gonna need a sizable wardrobe allowance wherever he goes.

Amen! Looks like he is bringing the old time religion to the people!

April 4, 2009  03:44 PM ET

He should go back to television where he starred on that Satuday morning kid's show Hang Time back in the 1990s. Honestly I think he should just realize that he needs to stick with recruiting or other stuff. He is not a very good coach.

April 4, 2009  04:28 PM ET
QUOTE(#9):

Plus, basketball tradition doesn't necessarily mean since the 1900s, I'm sure most people look at a more modern tradition, say the past 20 years, which would include the Arizonas, Georgetowns, Syracuses, among others. Some 17 year old kid is going to care less if a team has a richer tradition that another one if both schools have been good recently. I mean really, how rich of a tradition did Memphis/Memphis State have before Calipari, and they had a great class coming in, before he left. Kids don't care about this stuff.

agree-

tradition is for broadcasters, media, older fans.
-kids today want EXPOSURE and a route to the NBA- period
(I should say most kids- not all)

if you ask a kid who has more 'tradition' City college of NY or Arizona
they'd say arizona 99 out of 100 times

Comment #13 has been removed
April 4, 2009  07:23 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

I was thinking almost the same thing when I first saw the picture.

Were you also thinking there has to be a crakker in the woodpile?

April 4, 2009  10:35 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.And the 25 straight NCAA appearances are a JOKE. They didn't deserve to be in either last year or this year at the very least.

Ignore this bruin prick, he's just another fan from a rival Pac-10 school, hatin'.

April 4, 2009  10:41 PM ET

Reggie's probably the biggest name AZ is gonna get at this point unless they go after another unemployed NBA coach. These AD's are playin it smart and locking up their coaches. i.e Tenn and OU. lol.

April 5, 2009  12:11 PM ET

"We know who doesn't want the University of Arizona basketball coaching job. Southern California's Tim Floyd. Oklahoma's Jeff Capel. Xavier's Sean Miller."

Miller is currently in New Mexico meeting with Livengood about the AZ job. Some solid reporting there.

April 6, 2009  12:40 PM ET

I'm sure he doesn't want to go back to filming episodes of Hangtime. So just give him the job.

 
April 7, 2009  06:15 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Since when does Arizona have some grand basketball tradition? Being good for a few years doesn't suddenly make you a marquis basketball program. That's like saying Florida has Basketball tradition after they won their titles two years ago. Lute Olson was a good coach and had success....now he's done. The Arizona name itself doesn't carry much weight in the college basketball world...and it's showing with all these coaches turning it down. You'd think if it was such a great basketball school they'd have coaches jumping at the chance.And the 25 straight NCAA appearances are a JOKE. They didn't deserve to be in either last year or this year at the very least.

It's hard for me to agree with a Bruin's fan. But I agree.

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