OopItToWillie
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Kruger About To Speak To UNLV Players, Made Up His Mind Around Noon
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seniorsooner
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Mods, you might want to change the name of this thread to "Kruger speaks" or something. These are the first quotes I have seen from him about him taking the OU job.
Kruger leaves UNLV for Oklahoma; will speak to Rebel players at 9:30 p.m.
By Matt Youmans
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Apr. 1, 2011 | 11:57 a.m.
Updated: Apr. 1, 2011 | 7:08 p.m.
As the clocked ticked toward midnight Thursday, Lon Kruger said he expected to return as UNLV's basketball coach. Shortly after dawn, he had an unexpected change of heart and mind.
Kruger, 58, accepted an offer Friday to become coach at Oklahoma.
"I really said 'no' all week," Kruger said. "I said 'no' and I said 'no,' and finally it did go that way."
He was gone to the Sooners by about noon Friday.
Kruger said Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione was "very persistent" in his pursuit. Castiglione upped the ante, and Kruger agreed to a seven-year contract worth about $2.2 million per year.
"It has been a crazy last few hours," Kruger said from Texas, where he was attending the Final Four in Houston before meeting with Castiglione and Oklahoma president David Boren in Dallas.
"I would be lying if I didn't say money was a consideration. But it was not only money. It was the challenge and the opportunity. It was very enticing. I've never planned to leave any job."
Kruger had two years remaining on his contract at UNLV, where he was making about $1.1 million per year. His deal included a $500,000 buyout.
He boarded a flight to Las Vegas for a 9:30 p.m. meeting with the Rebels' players at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"It has been a very enjoyable seven years, and really it's very difficult to move on," Kruger said. "The players, and the relationships at UNLV and with the people in Las Vegas, it made the decision very difficult."
UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood has not commented on Kruger's departure.
Kruger just completed his seventh season at UNLV, with a 161-71 record. The Rebels (24-9) finished third in the Mountain West Conference and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years.
Kruger guided UNLV to the Sweet 16 in 2007. The Rebels defeated Georgia Tech and Wisconsin en route to a 30-7 season, Kruger's high point in his tenure in Las Vegas.
"I thought Lon did a great job here," former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "His teams always played hard and they were very competitive. He also did a great job off the floor. He was good with people. He was good with me and a lot of guys who played for me."
Two of Tarkanian's former players are considered the leading candidates to replace Kruger.
Brigham Young associate head coach Dave Rice, a player on the Rebels' 1990 NCAA championship team, is expected to meet with Livengood soon. Rice spent 11 seasons as an assistant at UNLV.
Tarkanian said he would recommend Reggie Theus as Kruger's successor. Theus starred for the Rebels from 1975 to 1978, leading the program to its first Final Four in 1977.
Theus, an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, was an NBA head coach for the Sacramento Kings in 2007-08. He also was head coach at New Mexico State.
"I think Reggie would be a great choice," Tarkanian said. "I recommend Reggie very highly. He would be here for life. If they don't hire him, it will be a joke."
With four starters returning, plus the additions of UCLA transfer Mike Moser and Marquette transfer Reggie Smith, the Rebels should be in position to contend for the league title in 2011-12.
Livengood is likely to move quickly in hiring a coach, though he faces financial constraints with the school in a budget crisis.
During his stay at UNLV, where he stabilized the program and returned it to respectability, Kruger was repeatedly linked to several coaching vacancies. Last year, he turned down a lucrative offer from Oregon.
Oklahoma fired coach Jeff Capel on March 14 after back-to-back losing seasons and in the midst of an NCAA investigation that began in May. Kruger faces a major rebuilding job with the Sooners' program.
San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said Kruger, who has Big 12 Conference roots as a player and coach at Kansas State, is a "great fit" in Norman, Okla.
"When you go into a job like UNLV, with the legacy it has, one created by Tarkanian and undefeated teams and a national championship, you'll always have those who think they should be in the Final Four every year. That's not realistic, not with the landscape today," Fisher said from Houston. "But you know going in some who don't understand the business will have those kind of expectations.
"Lon is the man I would want my son to play for. He is the person you want to live next door to. He is a superb basketball coach. He brought back respectability to the UNLV program. He did a great, great job. My guess is all he did there won't be fully appreciated until he is gone."
Review-Journal columnist Ed Graney contributed to this report. Contact Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
Kruger leaves UNLV for Oklahoma; will speak to Rebel players at 9:30 p.m.
By Matt Youmans
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Apr. 1, 2011 | 11:57 a.m.
Updated: Apr. 1, 2011 | 7:08 p.m.
As the clocked ticked toward midnight Thursday, Lon Kruger said he expected to return as UNLV's basketball coach. Shortly after dawn, he had an unexpected change of heart and mind.
Kruger, 58, accepted an offer Friday to become coach at Oklahoma.
"I really said 'no' all week," Kruger said. "I said 'no' and I said 'no,' and finally it did go that way."
He was gone to the Sooners by about noon Friday.
Kruger said Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione was "very persistent" in his pursuit. Castiglione upped the ante, and Kruger agreed to a seven-year contract worth about $2.2 million per year.
"It has been a crazy last few hours," Kruger said from Texas, where he was attending the Final Four in Houston before meeting with Castiglione and Oklahoma president David Boren in Dallas.
"I would be lying if I didn't say money was a consideration. But it was not only money. It was the challenge and the opportunity. It was very enticing. I've never planned to leave any job."
Kruger had two years remaining on his contract at UNLV, where he was making about $1.1 million per year. His deal included a $500,000 buyout.
He boarded a flight to Las Vegas for a 9:30 p.m. meeting with the Rebels' players at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"It has been a very enjoyable seven years, and really it's very difficult to move on," Kruger said. "The players, and the relationships at UNLV and with the people in Las Vegas, it made the decision very difficult."
UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood has not commented on Kruger's departure.
Kruger just completed his seventh season at UNLV, with a 161-71 record. The Rebels (24-9) finished third in the Mountain West Conference and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years.
Kruger guided UNLV to the Sweet 16 in 2007. The Rebels defeated Georgia Tech and Wisconsin en route to a 30-7 season, Kruger's high point in his tenure in Las Vegas.
"I thought Lon did a great job here," former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "His teams always played hard and they were very competitive. He also did a great job off the floor. He was good with people. He was good with me and a lot of guys who played for me."
Two of Tarkanian's former players are considered the leading candidates to replace Kruger.
Brigham Young associate head coach Dave Rice, a player on the Rebels' 1990 NCAA championship team, is expected to meet with Livengood soon. Rice spent 11 seasons as an assistant at UNLV.
Tarkanian said he would recommend Reggie Theus as Kruger's successor. Theus starred for the Rebels from 1975 to 1978, leading the program to its first Final Four in 1977.
Theus, an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, was an NBA head coach for the Sacramento Kings in 2007-08. He also was head coach at New Mexico State.
"I think Reggie would be a great choice," Tarkanian said. "I recommend Reggie very highly. He would be here for life. If they don't hire him, it will be a joke."
With four starters returning, plus the additions of UCLA transfer Mike Moser and Marquette transfer Reggie Smith, the Rebels should be in position to contend for the league title in 2011-12.
Livengood is likely to move quickly in hiring a coach, though he faces financial constraints with the school in a budget crisis.
During his stay at UNLV, where he stabilized the program and returned it to respectability, Kruger was repeatedly linked to several coaching vacancies. Last year, he turned down a lucrative offer from Oregon.
Oklahoma fired coach Jeff Capel on March 14 after back-to-back losing seasons and in the midst of an NCAA investigation that began in May. Kruger faces a major rebuilding job with the Sooners' program.
San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said Kruger, who has Big 12 Conference roots as a player and coach at Kansas State, is a "great fit" in Norman, Okla.
"When you go into a job like UNLV, with the legacy it has, one created by Tarkanian and undefeated teams and a national championship, you'll always have those who think they should be in the Final Four every year. That's not realistic, not with the landscape today," Fisher said from Houston. "But you know going in some who don't understand the business will have those kind of expectations.
"Lon is the man I would want my son to play for. He is the person you want to live next door to. He is a superb basketball coach. He brought back respectability to the UNLV program. He did a great, great job. My guess is all he did there won't be fully appreciated until he is gone."
Review-Journal columnist Ed Graney contributed to this report. Contact Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
OopItToWillie
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Big time praise from Steve Fisher.
MsProudSooner
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It speaks well of him that he was going to talk to the UNLV players. I can think of a few football coaches who should have done that in the past few years,
Max Power
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This, hard to say he doesnt care about basketball after committing Stoops' annual salary to this mess
coolm
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Now he needs to go hit up Toby Keith etc... to make the field house into a playable venue.
Jason
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Turn LNC into Toby Keith's "I love this arena."
waynepayne
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steverocks35
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+1, that gave me a chuckle...
red recluse
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i appreciate his honesty about the $$$.
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