The way Augmon is pursuing UNLV coaching job is all wrong

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Two sets of UNLV basketball fans. Two vastly different opinions.

Is Stacey Augmon, the UNLV legend who helped bring our city its best sports moment, the right choice to be the Rebels' next coach? Or should the university pass, likely losing Augmon — and other greats from his generation who have endorsed him for the job — as a supporter of the program?

Many longtime backers, those who were front and center when UNLV was a national brand and made deep tournament runs, are determined to see Augmon as coach. He would bring instant credibility because he starred on the best team in college history and knows how to win here.

Others disagree.

They say Augmon, who spent the past five seasons as a UNLV assistant, isn’t head-coach material. While there’s no questioning his credentials as a player, which include a lengthy NBA career, he’s still evolving as a coach. There’s a huge learning curve between being an assistant and managing the program, especially off the court. It takes a lot of work, year-round.

Augmon, at least from the outside looking in, doesn’t have the people skills and appeared content being in the background most of his tenure on staff. Plus, you can argue, he is part of the problem, having been here the past five years.

So, yes, managing his desires to take over will be tricky. Handling your legends is never easy for any sports organization and often poorly executed to appease notables of yesteryear. By no means, though, should Augmon — or other greats — be entitled to a job.

Even if Augmon is the answer to the Rebels’ problems, he’s going about getting the job the wrong way. Everything from his supporters taking out a full-page newspaper ad to lobby for the job to Augmon being critical of UNLV officials for passing him over for the interim position when Dave Rice stepped down in January has been in poor taste. The ad, regretfully, mentioned all of Augmon’s athletic achievements but skipped over his UNLV degree.

Augmon’s backers might be right with many of their arguments, but the lobbying has hurt his chances. They’ve created two camps — those for Augmon, and those against. Both suggest they’ll ditch support of UNLV if they don’t get their way.

The next coach — whether it’s Augmon, Pitt’s Jamie Dixon, Stephen F. Austin’s Brad Underwood or whoever else is reportedly in contention — will only succeed if he can bring supporters back into the fold. They have to unite the fan base, not alienate part of it.

That’s everyone from the average fan who was noticeably absent this past season to the boosters whose donations keep the program afloat. The support needs to also come from the university, whose marketing of the team isn’t where it used to be. Rice was doomed from the start because many wanted notable Rebel Reggie Theus to get the job. Theus went 10-20 this season at Cal State-Northridge.

Sure, winning games is the best solution to UNLV’s problems. But after missing the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons and not finishing in the top half of the Mountain West the past two, consistently winning isn't going to come overnight.

UNLV should be an attractive job. It has great facilities, the Mountain West is a winnable league and the city is one of the best in the world. UNLV basketball has tradition, too. This time, though, the tradition could cloud judgment on what’s best for UNLV basketball.

Stacey Augmon is a legend in these parts. He deserves consideration. But there’s more to landing a job than having your jersey retired in the Thomas & Mack Center rafters.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21