Reggie Theus
Title	Head coach
Sport	Basketball
Born	October 13, 1957 (1957-10-13) (age 49)
Place of birth	Inglewood, California
Career Highlights
Championships
WAC Tournament Championship (2007)
School as a player
1975–1978	UNLV
Coaching positions
2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2005 2005–2007 2007–present	Las Vegas Slam Cal State LA (asst.) Louisville (asst.) New Mexico State Sacramento Kings

Reggie Wayne Theus (born October 13, 1957 in Inglewood, California) is a former NBA player who currently works as head coach for the Sacramento Kings. Prior to taking over as the Kings' coach Theus coached New Mexico State University's men's basketball team. On March 31, 2005, NMSU hired the 13-year NBA veteran. In just his second year as head coach, Theus led NMSU to their 17th NCAA Tournament, their first tournament appearance since 1999, and coached NMSU to its 14th conference tournament title which earned them an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. He was also previously an assistant coach for the University of Louisville under Rick Pitino. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nickname: Location of Inglewood in California and Los Angeles County. ... The Western Athletic Conference (commonly referred to as the WAC, pronounced whack) was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A). ... The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, known for its programs in engineering, English, hotel administration, and management information systems. ... The Las Vegas Slam is an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... California State University, Los Angeles (also known as Cal State L.A. or CSULA) is a public university part of the California State University system. ... The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public, state-supported university located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. ... New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ... The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team which is based in Sacramento, California. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Inglewood in California and Los Angeles County. ... “NBA” redirects here. ... The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team which is based in Sacramento, California. ... New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public, state-supported university located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. ... Rick Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is the head basketball coach at the University of Louisville. ...

In his first season, Theus turned the Aggies from a 6-24 squad in 2004-05 to a 16-14 team in the 2005-06 season --matching the fifth best turn-around for a Division-I men's basketball team. Another achievement by Theus was the recruitment of Herb Pope for the 2007-2008 season, a 5 star recruit in the 2011 collegiate senior class. Pope is from Aliquippa, PA, and was recruited by national powerhouses such as Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, and Texas. However, on the two-year anniversary of Theus' hiring at NMSU, Pope was shot four times at a party, putting a question mark on his future in basketball. Theus was briefly recruited for coaching by Creighton University when coach Dana Altman left for the University of Arkansas before he changed his mind. Creighton University, founded in 1878, is a Jesuit, Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska. ... Dana Altman (born on June 16, 1958 in Crete, Nebraska) is currently the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays mens basketball team. ... The University of Arkansas known also as the U of A or UA, is a public co-educational land-grant university. ...

While head coach for NMSU, Theus made himself into a rather notorious character in southern New Mexico and far west Texas for his off color remarks about the Aggie's biggest rival, The University of Texas at El Paso and their fans by referring to the Miners as "front runner's" and his questioning of the legitmacy of the UTEP/NMSU rivalry on a local El Paso, TX sports talk radio show, as compared to the Louisville/Kentucky rivalry which he participated in as an assistant coach for Rick Pitino. Rick Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is the head basketball coach at the University of Louisville. ...

Playing career

UNLV

Theus played his college basketball at UNLV for head coach Jerry Tarkanian from 1976 to 1978. In three seasons with the Runnin’ Rebels, he averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Theus, who became one of the best players to ever don a UNLV uniform, shot 81 percent from the free-throw line for his career while amassing 1,177 career points (21st on all-time scoring list), 401 career assists and 389 career rebounds in just 91 collegiate games. Jerry Tarkanian (born August 8, 1930), also known as Tark the Shark, is a former college basketball coach known for colorful behavior, including habitually chewing on a towel during games, and for his public criticisms of and clashes with the NCAA. He was head coach at three different Division I...

As a sophomore, Theus helped lead UNLV into the national spotlight as the Rebels went 29-3, advancing to the school’s first Final Four in Atlanta, Ga. Despite losing by a single point to University of North Carolina in the semifinals, UNLV defeated UNC-Charlotte in the third-place game and set NCAA single-season records for most points in a season (3,426), most 100-point games (23) and most consecutive 100-point games (12). He averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 81.8 percent from the charity stripe and 49.7 percent from the field as a sophomore. The University of North Carolina is a sixteen-university system which comprises all public four-year universities in North Carolina, United States. ... The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public university located in Charlotte, North Carolina. ...

As a junior, Reggie was named a second team All-American after averaging 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

In 1989, Theus was inducted into the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame and in 1997 he became one of only six players in school history to have his jersey retired by the Rebels.

Theus has twice applied for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels coaching job to no avail. It is widely believed that he covets the head coaching job at his alma mater.

Chicago Bulls

After attending UNLV and having a successful college career, Theus was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 9th pick of the 1978 NBA Draft. A 6'7" guard, Theus averaged 16.3 points per game during his first season and was the runner-up for the 1979 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He garnered the nickname "Rush Street Reggie" while playing in Chicago for owning an apartment on that street and having an active social life around that area, being frequently spotted at the city night spots. He followed his stellar rookie campaign with a strong sophomore season, in which he averaged 20.2 points and 6.3 assists for the Bulls. In 1981, Theus appeared in his first All-Star Game; he appeared again in 1983, during a season in which he averaged a career high 23.8 points per game. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... First Round 1. ... The 1978-79 NBA Season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. ... The National Basketball Associations Rookie of the Year Award, first given after the 1952-53 NBA season, is given to the top first-year player in the league. ... In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was assisting in the basket. ... The 1980-81 NBA Season was the 35th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The NBA staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. ... The 1982-83 NBA Season was the 37th season of the National Basketball Association. ...

Kansas City/Sacramento Kings

Inexplicably, however, newly-hired Bulls coach Kevin Loughery decided to bench Theus for the first half of the 1983-1984 season, and Theus was soon traded to the Kansas City Kings for Steve Johnson and three draft picks, a move that saddened many Chicago fans who enjoyed Theus' enthusiasm and energy. Theus continued his impressive play during his tenure with the Kings, averaging at least 18 points per game in each full season he played for them. Kevin Michael Loughery (born March 28, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former pro basketball player and coach. ... The 1983-84 NBA Season was the 38th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team which is based in Sacramento, California. ... Clarence Stephen (Steve) Johnson (born November 3, 1957, in Akron, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player, who played for numerous teams. ...

Later years

He ended his NBA career with productive one-year stints for the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and New Jersey Nets, leaving the league in 1991 with career totals of 19,015 points and 6,453 assists. He played one season in Italy before retiring from basketball altogether in 1992. The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The 1990-91 NBA Season was the 45th season of the National Basketball Association. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Acting and broadcasting career

Before signing as an assistant coach at Louisville, Theus pursued careers in both acting and broadcasting. He hosted various talk shows in Sacramento, Orlando, and Atlanta, and for several years he served as a studio analyst for Turner Sports and the Los Angeles Lakers. Theus was also one of the original panelists on The Best Damn Sports Show Period. He also provided the commentary for video game NBA Live 2000 and appeared in the Saturday morning television show Hang Time (in a starring role) and in the 2002 film Like Mike. A talk show (U.S.) or chat show (Brit. ... Location of Sacramento in California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... Nickname: Location in Orange County and the state of Florida. ... Hotlanta redirects here. ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is a cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. ... Lakers logo 1966-1991 The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... The Best Damn Sports Show Period is a sports talk show on Fox Sports Net. ... NBA Live redirects here; it may also refer to a TV program on NBA TV. The NBA Live series of basketball games, published by EA Sports, is currently one of the leading National Basketball Association simulations on the market. ... Hang Time was an American teen sitcom that aired from 1995-2000. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Like Mike is a 2002 movie, directed by John Schultz and starring Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki. ...

External links

• ReggieTheus.com
• Career Statistics
• TBS Superstation: NBA
• Reggie Theus Foundation