Rebels' Cypien decides to stay

Whatever Bill Bayno said must have worked, because he has managed to keep his UNLV basketball coaching staff intact.

Assistant Glynn Cyprien has agreed to remain with the Rebels after Bayno promoted him to associate head coach and matched Nebraska's financial offer to the 36-year-old assistant from New Orleans.

Cyprien will receive a healthy raise in pay from $73,000 to roughly $100,000. His coaching duties also will expand and he will have more input into all facets of the program.

"I was outta here. My mind was made up Saturday," Cyprien said. "But Billy made it too good for me to leave. He made a commitment to help my career.

"This wasn't a money decision. This was a career decision. There's no ego involved. You want to work for great people, people you trust. I could look Billy in the eye and see he was sincere."

Nebraska head coach Danny Nee made a strong push to lure Cyprien to Lincoln.

"The one reason I was taking the job at Nebraska was Danny Nee," Cyprien said. "He went out of his way to make me feel welcome. But when the other guys (on the UNLV staff) called me in Nebraska, it made me think.

"Dave Rice called me while I was on the interview. Shoes (Greg Vetrone) called me. They wanted me to stay, but they wanted what was best for me. You don't know how much that meant ... to me."

Cyprien also didn't want to leave the players in the program. His close relationship with freshman guard Greedy Daniels is well-documented, the two having grown up in the same New Orleans neighborhood.

He also is responsible for recruiting Shawn Marion, the nation's top junior college player, as well as top-50 prep recruit Chris Richardson to sign with the Rebels last fall.

Cyprien's decision all but guarantees Marion will forget about putting his name in for the NBA draft and come to UNLV for at least his junior season. The 6-foot-7 forward graduated from Vincennes (Ind.) University last Sunday and is expected to be in Las Vegas before the end of May.

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