PROVO — It was much more than just a basketball game for Southern Utah coach Roger Reid Friday night when his Thunderbirds came to Provo to play BYU.
It was a homecoming.
It has been well documented, and most of the locals remember, that Reid spent 11 years as an assistant with BYU before becoming the head coach in 1989. He compiled a 152-77 all-time record in seven-plus seasons before being asked to leave by the school.
Since leaving BYU, Reid's coaching has taken him literally around the world. From BYU he went to Phoenix, where he helped then head coach Danny Ainge as an assistant on the NBA Suns. From Phoenix he traveled to China, where he coached the Hangzhou Horses to a playoff berth after six consecutive losing seasons. Then, after leading Snow College to a conference championship, he accepted the head coaching position at SUU, which finally led him back to where he started, at least for a night.
"It was like I never left here," said Reid. "I spent most of my life here, and it was really like I never left. I have great memories of the young men I've coached here. I'm proud of what we accomplished here, and I have no regrets."
The night began minutes before tipoff with BYU presenting Reid with a plaque commemorating his return to the Marriott Center. The plaque included a piece of the old Marriott Center floor, on which he coached.
One of Reid's former players, Jeff Chatman, was there to say a few words and represent myriad other players there to say hello and remember, for a night, how things used to be.
Former players that were at the "reunion" included Fred Roberts, Marty Haws, Devin Durrant, Greg Kite, Kevin Santiago, Timo Saarelainen and many others.
Unfortunately, the T-Birds were 0-10 all-time at the Marriott Center coming into the game against No. 21 BYU and 0-11 when all was said and done.
The T-Birds are in a rebuilding mode, with which Reid has considerable experience.
"I had a chance to talk with coach Reid this afternoon," said BYU coach Dave Rose. "I have tremendous respect for him as a coach, a person and a competitor. I wish him the best this year. He has a challenge, but I have no doubt SUU will be contending for a Summit League title."
"I'm blessed to be coaching at Southern Utah and rebuilding that program," Reid said. "Good things are going to happen down there."