For the second time in two years Marvin Menzies is replacing Reggie Theus.
The man who took over Theus' post as a U of L assistant coach in 2005 will now succeed the newly named Sacramento Kings head coach as the head honcho at New Mexico State.
The formal announcement will come at a 3 p.m. press conference Friday afternoon in Las Cruces.
"Marvin -- like (Cincinnati coach) Mick Cronin, like Reggie Theus -- they've all come here and done a great job, but they've stayed for too short a period," said Rick Pitino, who has now had 20 assistants earn head coaching jobs.
Menzies will face extremely high expectations during his first season in Las Cruces. In just two seasons Theus resurrected the New Mexico State program, winning a conference title and taking the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in 2007. The nucleus from that team will be back for Menzies' first season, along with a talented recruiting class led by Pittsburgh big man Herb Pope.
"It is going to be his first time around us in this situation and he will have to lean on us as seniors," said NMSU's Fred Peete. "Just basically, don't disrupt the system that we had. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
As for Louisville, Pitino is expected to name (drumroll) former UK standout Walter McCarty as Menzies' replacement. McCarty played under Pitino for three seasons in Lexington and was a member of the 1996 NCAA championship team. He was the 19th overall selection in the '96 draft, and then spent nine seasons in the league, mostly with the Boston Celtics where he was a fan favorite.
How do I feel about Walter McCarty as a U of L assitant? I had been indifferent until I stumbled upon the fact that he released an R&B CD in 2003 entitled "Moment for Love." Please, if you have a soul (or are in the mood for some baby makin' music), go to this website and listen to samples of McCarty classics like "It's on Tonight," "Freaky Wit Me" and of course "Feel Like Lovin' You."
Get this man on campus ASAP.