Cyprien likely headed to OSU

Steve Addy

Monday, Aug. 14, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

UNLV associate head coach Glynn Cyprien appears ready to leave the men's basketball program.

Cyprien, the Rebels' chief recruiter, is the leading candidate to take over a similar role at Oklahoma State and the move could be completed today, according to sources.

Cyprien told the Sun he could not confirm or deny the report, but said he interviewed with OSU head coach Eddie Sutton for the vacancy created when assistant Jimmy Williams joined the Milwaukee Bucks' staff.

"I went (to Stillwater) to talk to them, and I think it went well," Cyprien said, but he wouldn't say if the job had been offered.

It's not clear if Cyprien would become an OSU assistant or associate head coach to Sutton.

A story on the website Rivals.com said Cyprien has agreed to contract terms with the university after an initial impasse between the parties.

Cyprien, who turns 34 on Sept. 13, has been in the job market much of the summer. In April he interviewed to become head coach at Jacksonville (Ala.) State, then took himself out of the running. In May he surfaced as a candidate for head coach at Arkansas-Little Rock, but did not interview.

Cyprien has spent five seasons with the Rebels, serving as an assistant from 1995-98 and associate head coach the last two seasons after nearly leaving for Nebraska in May 1998.

UNLV's recruiting has received generally high marks with Cyprien serving as the point man. His 1996-97 class was named No. 1 in the nation by The Sporting News and Basketball Times, and the 1998-99 group was ranked No. 2 by Hoop Scoop.

This year, despite the specter of NCAA violations hanging over their heads, the Rebels are on the lists of several high-profile recruits.

There has also been controversy. Lamar Odom was the jewel of the 1997 class, but never suited up for the Rebels because of questions about his academic credentials. Odom's recruitment is at the heart of the most serious NCAA allegations against the program.

Also, a lawsuit is pending against Cyprien and the university by a former student manager, Mike Viellion, who claims his car was wrecked because of them.

In the suit filed in District Court two weeks ago, Viellion said during a vacation in July 1998, he left his 1995 Ford Thunderbird Coupe in Cyprien's care. Cyprien loaned the car to UNLV center Kaspars Kambala, who wrecked it.

Viellion is seeking unspecified damages, claiming he was forced to pay impound and storage fees as well as increased insurance premiums.