Bayno’s position could be tough to fill

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000 | 10:09 a.m.

Based on what happened the last time the UNLV men's basketball head coaching job was open, finding a replacement for Bill Bayno may not be as easy as one would think.

Bayno was fired late Monday night as a result of sanctions imposed on the program by the NCAA for various violations.

Speculation already has mounted as to who will replace Bayno after this season, but it will be a while before a list of viable candidates is compiled.

UNLV assistant Max Good will take over for Bayno the remainder of this season. Depending on how he does with the Rebels (3-4), he may even get a shot at being Bayno's permanent assistant. But that is unlikely.

Recently fired Indiana coach Bob Knight and Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino have been at the top of the rumor mill on radio shows, Internet websites and even ESPN's College Hoops Tonight.

Good, who guided prep school powerhouse Maine Central Institute to five New England Prep School Athletic Conference Championships in 10 years, was amused by all of the banter surrounding the future.

"It doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it would be very interesting to see Bobby Knight here," Good said on the weekly coaches radio show. "I could say be careful what you ask for, you might get it.

"I know Bobby Knight personally. You look up volatility in the dictionary and you see his picture there."

A source said that Alabama coach Mark Gottfried has expressed interest in the job.

ESPN named former Georgetown coach John Thompson as a likely candidate, though sources have told the Sun that the retired coach, who has a home in Las Vegas, is not interested.

More realistic possibilities include Cal State Northridge coach Bobby Braswell, Hofstra coach Jay Wright and St. Louis coach Lorenzo Romar.

Braswell, now in his fifth year as coach of his alma mater, led the Matadors to their first 20-win season in 15 years last year and has resurrected the dormant 42-year old program. This season Northridge is 5-3 with wins over UCLA and Wyoming and a narrow loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Wright may be considered because he was a former UNLV assistant, under Rollie Massimino. He guided the Flying Dutchmen to the NCAA Tournament last year.

Like Romar, Braswell is known for running a clean program.

Romar was one of five coaches who passed on the opportunity to coach the Rebels before Bayno took the job before the 1995-'96 season. At the time, he was an assistant coach at UCLA.

Charlie Spoonhour, then head coach at St. Louis; Larry Eustachy, then the head man at Utah State; Jerry Green, then of Oregon; and Herb Sendek, then at Miami of Ohio, also declined.

Spoonhour has retired while Eustachy, Green and Sendek have moved on to Iowa State, Tennessee and North Carolina State, respectively.