Larry Eustachy Ready For Colorado State Basketball

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball: Niko Medved Retained As Assistant Coach

According to the Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan, the Colorado St. Rams basketball team will keep Niko Medved as the team's assistant assistant coach. Medved worked as an assistant to head coach Tim Miles who left the team following the 2011-12 regular season to become the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team.

In mid April, the Rams announced the hiring of Larry Eustachy formerly of the Southern Miss. Golden Eagles. Eustachy brought a full compliment of coaches to Colorado State, but elected to retain Medved, one of the few coaches Tim Miles left behind.

Medved spoke with the media after the announcing, confirming his commitment to the CSU program:

"This is a place that I love and my wife lives, and I've grown very fond of obviously," Medved said. "I played a major part in recruiting a lot of the guys on the team and feel a real bond with them, and I feel like we're poised to do some really big things. I want to be part of that and see it through."

The Rams turn the 2012-13 season hoping to build on their 20-12 record from the previous season.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball: Larry Eustachy Wants To Build Program Through HS Recruits

New Colorado St. Rams basketball coach Larry Eustachy is known for building his Southern Miss Golden Eagles program through junior college transfers, but that's not the way he wants to create a successful program up in Fort Collins, reports the Coloradoan. Eustachy wants to continue in Miles' footsteps and make the Rams a team constructed with athletes who want to play for four years.

However, that won't stop Eustachy from bringing in junior college players. He will need to bring in a few to fill in holes on the roster, but they won't be the core of his teams.

Eustachy will have a senior-heavy team for the 2012-13 season with Jesse Carr, Wes Eikmeier, Dorian Green, Pierce Hornung and Greg Smith all seniors or fifth-year players. The new coach will have one season to work with the core of the team that went to the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball 2012: Details Of Larry Eustachy's Contract

The Colorado State Rams' new head coach Larry Eustachy was given a five-year contract that's worth $750K per year if the program meets graduation requirements and avoids major NCAA violations, according to Sean Star of the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

If Eustachy gets the Rams to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, he can earn up to $1.1 million annually. That would be the furthest he's taken a team in the NCAA Tournament since 2000, when he took an Iowa State Cyclones team led by Jamaal Tinsley and Marcus Fizer all the way to the Elite Eight.

It would also signify unprecedented success for the Colorado State program. The Rams made the NCAA Tournament in 2012 for the first time since 2003, with their last victory in the tournament coming against the Florida Gators back in 1989.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Larry Eustachy Introduced As New Head Basketball Coach At Colorado State

After a bit of controversy -- Ernie Kent was reportedly set to take the Colorado State job before being vetoed -- CSU officially introduced Larry Eustachy as the basketball program's new head coach on Thursday. Athletic director Jack Graham called Eustachy the "right man" for the job.

"In Larry Eustachy, Colorado State has one of the most well respected minds in college basketball," said Graham. "Larry has been highly successful at every stop throughout his career. I know that he is the right man to lead Colorado State to new heights."

Related: Colorado State Finally Settles On Larry Eustachy To Be New Basketball Coach

Eustachy spent the last eight seasons at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he compiled a 142-113 record. He led the Golden Eagles to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. He has led three different programs to the NCAAs during his career.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: CSU To Hire Larry Eustachy After Ernie Kent Hire Was Vetoed

The Colorado State Rams will hire Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy to take over the school's basketball program after the hiring of Ernie Kent was vetoed by a high-ranking administrator, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. Previous reports had conflicted on whether Kent was actually offered the job by CSU.

Despite those reports, Parrish insists that the Rams had agreed to hire Kent before a high-ranking official at the school decided to veto the move. At this point, it's unclear why the administration would have any problem with hiring Kent, who had spent 13 seasons running the Oregon Ducks before taking off last season.

Now, it appears that Colorado State will turn to Eustachy to sustain the success that the program had under former coach Tim Miles, who recently took the head coaching gig at Nebraska. Eustacky led Southern Miss to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 after posting a 25-9 regular season record, but the team lost its first game in the tournament to Kansas State.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Conflicting Reports On Ernie Kent's Status

Despite word that the Colorado State Rams had agreed in principle to hire former Oregon Ducks coach Ernie Kent to take over the school's basketball program, conflicting reports have now come out regarding the status of the Rams' search for a new basketball coach.

While it had been claimed that the Rams were planning to hire Kent, CBS Sports' Gary Parrish reported on Wednesday that a high-ranking administrator at Colorado State was vetoing the move. This would essentially put the school's coaching search back into high gear given the need to re-tool for next season.

But according to one CSU official that spoke with Rich Kurtzman, the Rams never agreed to hire Kent, nobody in the CSU administration vetoed such a hiring, and the search for a new basketball coach has been ongoing. So at this point, it's not even clear whether Kent was ever even offered the job.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: CSU Agrees To Terms With Ernie Kent, According To Report

The Colorado State Rams have a new head basketball coach, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. Parrish reported Wednesday morning that the school has agreed to terms with ex-Oregon Ducks coach Ernie Kent, which confirms earlier speculation that Kent was in the lead for the position.

According to Parrish, Kent beat out former Iowa State and current Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy as well as a few other current head coaches, including Weber State's Randy Rahe and New Mexico State's Marvin Menzies. Kent spent 13 years as the head coach at Oregon, making two Elite Eights in that time, but he was fired after the 2009-2010 season, and he's been out of basketball since then. In those 13 seasons, Kent led the Ducks to a 235-173 record.

Though the hire has yet to be officially confirmed, Parrish reported that a formal announcement from the school should come on either Wednesday or Thursday.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Ernie Kent A Top Candidate, According To Report

The Colorado St. Rams appear to narrowing the field of potential head basketball coaches. According to Sean Star of the Loveland Reporter-Herald, former Oregon Ducks head coach Ernie Kent is among the few top candidates for the CSU job:

Multiple reports say Ernie Kent is among leading candidates to be new CSU men's basketball coach. But university said no decision made yet.

— Sean Star (@TheSeanStar) April 10, 2012

The Rams have been looking for the school's 19th head coach after coach Tim Miles accepted the head coach position with the Nebraska Cornhuskers following the 2011-12 season. Miles led the team to a 20-12 record and an appearance in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

Kent coached 408 games for the Ducks and led them to a 235-173 record, good for a .576 winning percentage. The 57-year-old did not coach in 2011 or 2012.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Craig Neal And Marvin Menzies Will Interview On Friday

Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham hired a search firm to help with filling the vacant head coaching position on the men's basketball team, he assembled a short list of candidates and now CSU officials are beginnign to set up interviews. According to Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal, CSU administrators will interview University of New Mexico assistant coach Craig Neal and New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies on Friday.

Neal and Menzies both appear to have a serious interest in the job as well, as noted by Smith in that same Albuquerque Journal story:

Earlier in the week, Neal said he would not comment about the CSU job, but that it was "a credit to the success that coach (Steve) Alford's had with the program (at UNM)," that his name was being mentioned.

Former NMSU regent chairman Bob Gallagher said he spoke with Menzies and athletic director McKinley Boston on Thursday, and he commented to the Journal on Menzies' behalf.

"Marvin reached out to me as a friend," Gallagher said. "There is serious interest on the part of Colorado State in Marvin. Is there interest on Marvin's part? That's premature to say at this point. The picture should be much clearer in the next 48 hours."

The other potential targets for the position include:

• Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss.
• Randy Rahe, Weber St.
• Ernie Kent, Oregon (1997-2010)
• Mike Dunlap, St. John's (assistant)
• Craig Smith, CSU Interim Head Coach

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Eustachy, Menzies And Neal All Possible Candidates

The Colorado St. Rams continue to look for a new basketball head coach to replace recently-resigned Tim Miles. According to Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan, the Rams apper to be exploring the following candidates:

• Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss.
• Marvin Menzies, New Mexico St.
• Craig Neal, New Mexico (assistant)
• Randy Rahe, Weber St.
• Ernie Kent, Oregon (1997-2010)
• Mike Dunlap, St. John's (assistant)
• Craig Smith, CSU Interim Head Coach

Chief among the group appears to be the trio of Eustachy, Menzies and Neal. Craig Neal, though he is only 48 years old, is a particularly interesting candidate. According to Lyell, the New Mexico assistant has coached five seasons at New Mexico and three at Iowa, as well as eight years in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors.

Neal played at Georgia Tech in college, and spent several years in the NBA, splitting time betweent the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search Hits First Snag, Dan Monson Reportedly Not Interested In The Job

Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham has hired a search firm and is assembling a short list of candidates for the vacant head coaching position on the men's basketball team, but according to Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan, none of the assumed candidates have been contacted as of Tuesday. The biggest news of the weekend came in a report from CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman via twitter that Long Beach St. coach Dan Monson told the school he was not interested in the position:

Colorado State targeted Long Beach State coach Dan Monson. However, sources told CBSSports that Monson has spurned interest.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) April 1, 2012

As for other potential fits for the head coaching job, Lyell reached out to Montana coach Wayne Tinkle, Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti and South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy, but each said that no CSU official had contacted them or requested permission from their current school to discuss the job opening. A few more Lyell mentioned as potential candidates included: St. John's assistant and former Metro State of Denver coach, Mike Dunlap, former CSU assistant and current Weber St. head coach Randy Rahe and current CSU interim head coach Craig Smith.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Nebraska Pays Tim Miles' Buyout Fee

The Colorado St. Rams are currently in the market for a new head basketball coach to head up next year's men's team. Former coach Tim Miles accepted a job with the Nebraska Cornhuskers last weekend and CSU athletic director Jack Graham is already on the hunt to find a suitable replacement.

According to The Coloradoan, Miles owed the school $350,000 as a result of leaving Colorado State prior to June 30, based on the terms of last year's three-year extension he signed with the Rams. Nebraska is stepping in to pay the fee, ponying up almost immediately after inking the coach.

Miles will reportedly receive a hefty pay bump at his new school. He was due to begin receiving a salary of $750,000 starting on July 1 at Colorado State, but will receive a reported $1.4 million in his first year at Nebraska.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: CSU Nears Deal With Search Firm

Colorado State is nearing a deal with an executive search firm that will assist athletic director Jack Graham in interviewing and hiring a new head coach for the Rams' men's basketball team, according to Kelly Lyell of Coloradoan.com. Nebraska recently lured the Rams' previous head coach, Tim Miles, to accept to the same position in Lincoln.

Lyell says that Graham plans to travel to New Orleans for this year's Final Four and he'll likely be conducting interviews with possible candidates there. Annual conventions for the National Association of Basketball Coaches and its offshoot groups occur at the Final Four each year, so many of the nation's top coaches and coaching candidates should be around.

Just a few months ago, Colorado State hired Jim McElwain away from Alabama to become the new head coach of the Rams' football team. The school paid Spencer Stuart, an executive search firm, $250,000 to assist Graham in that quest. It's unclear whether the school is using the same firm, or how much it'll be paying for the services.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: Tim Miles Could Be Taking Key Staffers With Him To Nebraska

The Colorado St. Rams men's basketball program is looking for a new head coach after Tim Miles left the school after five seasons to take over the Nebraska Cornhuskers' program, and now it appears they could have some additional voids to fill. Kelly Lyell of the Fort Collins Coloradoan relays that there are rumors coming from Nebraska that Tim Miles will be bringing assistant coach Ron Coleman and director of operations Jayden Olson with him to Lincoln.

Over at SB Nation's Nebraska athletics blog, Corn Nation, they are already thinking about about the structure of the new staff that will be built around Miles:

In Saturday's press conference, Miles was asked about who his assistants would be. "I haven't made any decisions of any kind on that."

Ok. So, again, he was asked about his staff, and more specifically about Mr. Coleman. Miles tried to play coy, saying, "I've thought a lot about my staff, I'm just not telling you"

But he let this slip "Have you ever met him? He's a blast. He's a great guy, we just have to work it out."

At this point, Nebrasketball fans ears have perked up like a dog who hears something interesting, yet unfamiliar with their head at full attention, cockeyed staring at the TV. Wait, we could get this guy too? Good things don't happen like this for Nebraska hoops. We haven't had connections like this in a long time, maybe ever, but yet, he wasn't actually here yet.

As for the Rams, AD Jack Graham will use a search firm to find the school's next head coach.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State Basketball Coaching Search: AD Jack Graham Plans To Use Search Firm

The Colorado St. Rams are looking to hire their second coach in four months, but unlike bringing in Alabama's Jim McElwain to replace the fired Steve Fairchild as football coach, athletic director Jack Graham is replacing a basketball coach, Tim Miles, who used the university as a springboard to move to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But, like last time, Graham plans to hire a search firm to help him find the new coach, reports the Coloradoan.

In a phone interview with the Coloradoan, Graham mentioned not only that he will use a search firm again, but that he wants to build the basketball program like the football program: a destination for a coach to build a future power in the sport:

"That is not what Colorado State University is going to be in the future. We are going to be a destination, a place that great coaches are going to want to stay and be part of."

Both interim coach Craig Smith and assistant Niko Medved will be candidates during the search, but they are far from the only two that will be considered. The Coloradoan also lists St. John's assistant Mike Dunlap, a former Metro State head coach, and Weber State's Randy Rahe as potential hires.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State's Tim Miles Officially Accepts Nebraska Job, According To Report

The Colorado State Rams' fantastic 2011-2012 season under Tim Miles will be his last in Fort Collins, according to CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman. According to Goodman, Miles has accepted an offer to be the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in a deal that will pay him $1.4 million over seven years. That contract will just about double Miles' yearly salary at Colorado State, where he made $750,000 a year.

Miles leaves the Rams with a 71-88 career record, but he was 39-25 over the last two seasons, leading Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament this year. Prior to accepting the job with the Rams, Miles spent the previous 12 seasons coaching in Minnesota and North Dakota, so even though he doesn't have a direct connection to the Big 10, he is used to recruiting that region of the United States.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Colorado State's Tim Miles Will Reportedly Sign A 5-Year Deal To Become Next Coach Of Nebraska

The Colorado St. Rams basketball program has been steadily ascending for five seasons under the guidance of head coach Tim Miles, but it appears this chapter of Rams basketball is about to close. According to various reports, Miles is set to be introduced as the next head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers tomorrow. CBS college hoops reporter Jeff Goodman has details on what the contract with look like:

Colorado State's Tim Miles, barring last second collapse, to be introduced tomorrow at Nebraska. Will sign 5-year deal worth 1.4 per year.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) March 23, 2012

The Rams made the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Miles' watch this season, winning 20 games and earning a No. 11 seed. The Rams were defeated by No. 6 Murray State in what appears to be the final game for Miles at Colorado St.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Tim Miles Ready To Become Nebraska Basketball Head Coach, According To Report

Colorado St. Rams head basketball coach Tim Miles might soon be the Nebraska Cornhuskers' new head basketball coach, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Earlier reports had Miles in Nebraska on Friday to meet athletic director Tom Osborne, and now it looks to be all but a done deal. The World-Herald reports:

Two sources said Miles was in Lincoln on Friday, and that plans for a press conference on Saturday morning are being prepared.

Miles took over as Colorado St.'s basketball program starting in the 2007 season and won just 16 games over his first two years, but he reached .500 (16-16) in his third year and then followed that with a 19-win season and an NIT bid in 2011. This past season, Miles took the Rams to 20 wins and a second-round game against the Murray St. Racers in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.

• about 1 year ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Nebraska Is Interested In Hiring Colorado State's Time Miles, According To A Report

Just yesterday Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham said that head basketball coach Tim Miles had not been contacted by any other schools interested in hiring Miles. However now there at least appears to be interest in Miles from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. According to Omaha.com, Miles may have been contacted about the job, and ESPN's Andy Katz says that Nebraska is interested in Miles.

This is not a surprise since Miles has turned the Rams around since he first took over the program in 2007-08 season here the team went 0-16 in conference play. Since then Miles has improved each year taking steps from a losing record in the first two years, a CBI Invite in 2009-10, a NIT invite last season and to this current year where he led the Rams to their first NCAA Tournament berth in nearly a decade.

Miles overall record at Colorado State is 71-88 and 28-50 in league play, but the past three seasons the Rams have averaged 18 wins a year.

For more on CSU basketball, visit MWC blog Mountain West Connection and SB Nation Denver.