UNLV made a good choice by hiring Dave Rice.
But the process revealed a lot of angst by a portion of UNLV fans that became increasingly anti-Rice in the process — primarily because he was from BYU where he didn't coach tattooed guys and he isn't Reggie Theus.
Dumb.
Rice is a great choice for the Rebels for plenty of reasons: He's smart, capable and a native son of UNLV and Las Vegas.
He just finished working for a program that went to the Sweet 16 and coached the NCAA player of the year.
Rice has extensive knowledge of the Mountain West Conference, its coaches, players, recruiting, venues, travel and strategies, not to mention solid relationships with the league's media.
But for some Rebel fans, that didn't matter. Many wanted Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Reggie Theus and are sorely disappointed Rice got the job over him. They are also upset because Theus was the top choice of former coach Jerry Tarkanian, who lobbied hard for his former star.
There are stars; then there are coaches. Rice is a coach. He can shake hands and give speeches, but he'll be better drawing up plays than nursing boosters with jokes, glad-handing egos and trying to upstage the best act on the strip.
He is a basketball man.
I thought it was interesting how some UNLV fans really dissed Rice because of his ties to BYU and the fact UNLV's athletic director, Jim Livengood, is a BYU graduate and that Rice is white — no pun intended.
Sad.
It also speaks of a real complex some UNLV fans have about the Cougars, who they've made into their most hated rival over the years.
But it's understandable.
The BYU-UNLV rivlary is a great one, a series that needs to live again someday, once everyone is over hurt feelings of expansion, BYU going independent and Utah leaving for the Pac-12.
Bring it back again, please.
I was just taken aback by some of the edge to the anti-Rice sentiment. I predict he'll hit all of that over the fence by simply winning. And he will.
Rice may be one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He's a super person, capable X's-and-O's guy and will serve UNLV well.
But, to read a sampling of some Rebels, Rice is PeeWee Herman.
Fools.
A sampling from comments to an article last week in the Las Vegas Review Journal:
"The fix is in…UNLV is about to make an obvious poor choice."
And, "Hiring Reggie Theus is the better business decision. He is better qualified. He has head coaching experience. He is a great recruiter. He is charismatic, Rice has the personality of a rock."
And, "Theus or anyone else had zero chance. Livengood really should have to excuse himself from picking the head coach. What a joke."
And, "Rice is a traitor. Would North Carolina ever hire an ex-player who coached at Duke? No way. We should feel the same way. Do we want a white-bread coach to recruit inner-city kids?"
And, "Dave Rice will not recruit as Theus will. Period. The young black kids that we want will not respond to 'Rice from UNLV.' Perception is reality, folks, just look at the tattoos, etc., of these kids. Theus on the other hand will give them that NBA/college flair that they all want. Dave Rice is not a step in the right direction, he dresses like a Kmart shopper, not cool, not impressive to cool black dudes."
Again, sad.
The truth is, Rice will do more to elevate the academics and life experiences of UNLV players than just about anyone can. He will increase the graduation rates. He will manufacture MWC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances for the Rebels.
And do it in quick time. Period.
This is a program that had its star player arrested for choking his girlfriend last offseason.
UNLV, you need some help — a helping of Rice.
Yes, Rice is not Theus. So what?
Said Dave Rose on Monday, "UNLV has hired a great coach. Dave is very deserving of this opportunity and he'll do a terrific job. He has been a huge part of our success over the last six seasons. He has a great mind for the game of basketball."
Rose now is seeking a Rice replacement. Will he go inside or outside the program? Will he go for X's and O's or fit and comfort. Rose is already BYU's best recruiter and closer, so it isn't as if he needs to hire the football equivalent of Brandon Doman.
It will be interesting to watch the reaction of complainers over the Rice hire celebrate a league championship next year.
With SDSU losing its seniors and possible Kawhi Leonard to the NBA, it will come down to freshman-laden New Mexico and UNLV.
email: dharmon@desnews.com
twitter: Harmonwrites