March 29, 2001
AT UNLV'S THOMAS & MACK CENTER, LAS VEGAS
UNLV Director of Athletics Charles Cavagnaro:
"When this process started back in December, it became obvious that my obligation was to recommend the right person that would fit our athletic department and our university at this time. We've accomplished our goal of finding a person with a proven record who has the energy to bring a fresh start to our men's basketball program. The timing is absolutely perfect. Also at this time, let me acknowledge the appreciation that the University and especially everyone in the athletic department has for the outstanding job performed by (interim) coach Max Good and his staff during this very trying time. They went about their duty with dignity and style and class, and we are certainly grateful."
UNLV President Dr. Carol C. Harter
"As you know, the search has been a long and arduous and extraordinarily public process. But there were really some fundamental issues to address in our search for a new coach. First and foremost, we need to build a most positive reputation for this program both at home and across the country. Great public universities that are wonderful academic institutions also value athletics and they expect them to be played and managed with absolute integrity. I will be candid with you. I will acknowledge that there is one constituency that is very important to me and to our university. That is the NCAA. We may not always agree with their rules. Lord knows, they are so Byzantine sometimes it is hard for a Phi Beta Kappa to figure them out. And we may disagree with their sometimes-harsh application to UNLV. But we cannot say we do not understand those rules. We do. Another important element in our choice was a proven big-time basketball record, post-season tournament experience and the strong desire on the candidate's part to bring this community back and fill the Thomas & Mack. We have had some wonderful and exciting seasons in this fine facility and I fully expect the excitement will return with our choice today. We've had a lot of terrific candidates for this position. Some we found. Some found us. But we kept coming back to one person. The man on the dais with me today fits the bill in all ways. I am pleased and delighted to introduce to you our new men's basketball coach - Charlie Spoonhour."
New Runnin' Rebel Head Coach Charlie Spoonhour:
"Thank you Dr. Harter and everyone. It's very good for me to come out here and hear words like Byzantine. We use that all the time in Arkansas. I feel like I have a word for the day. Now, I can get up and make a nice canned speech and say a bunch of things that probably don't mean anything to anyone. Let me just say that I'm extremely pleased and happy to be here. I'm excited about the prospects. I have the greatest respect for this institution, for Las Vegas, for the things that have been done here in the past, and for the things that can be done in the future. I've had a brief opportunity to meet with the players. Coach Bayno and his staff did a great job in assembling some guys, who at least first blush, I enjoyed meeting and enjoyed the things they had to say. I appreciated their attitude and their willingness to work and share some of the same goals. I think we're all here for the same reason - I think we'd like to have a good basketball program. We'd like to have a basketball program that the University can be proud of. We would like to have all of our athletic programs be that way. I have no desires other than that. I look forward to the challenge. I think we're in a great league. I'm sure I'll be asked why would you get back in. I think it's a combination of things. I would not be back in a coaching position if it were not in Las Vegas. There are three or four places that in my heart and mind that I felt were good places. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think there were already good players in place. If it was a terrible situation in dire straits, I wouldn't have done it. If I didn't think we could get great players here, if I didn't think there was a commitment from the people up here at this head table and from this university and from this city, I wouldn't be here. I'm here because I think it is the best possible world. I think we can have a great time, have a lot of fun, win games. Is it going to happen overnight? Probably not. But it isn't going to take decades either. It's been done here before. And it'll get done here again. That's basically why I'm here.
"I like Las Vegas. I like the things that this school has done in the past in basketball. It's not as though your selling a pie in the sky dream to players. You're telling them what has been done and what can be done. I know this is corny but I'm going to say it anyway. If you didn't dream a little, you're not going to get very much done. I still have a little bit of dreamer in me.
"When this happened, I thought it was a shame that I was probably out of the mix, out of coaching. I thought about how nice it would be to be considered here. And then when Charlie got around to calling it was neat.
"The most important people right now are the guys that are on the team and the guys that are going to be on the team. We need to keep the guys that are here, if they want to stay. And we need to keep the recruits, if we can.
"It doesn't happen overnight. We'll have some little bumps in the road. I just hope people have a little patience. I hope I'll have a little patience."
"I know some of the other coaches (in the Mountain West Conference). You know about the history of Utah and Wyoming and New Mexico. The league is good. The league's tough. I got a chance to look at a general overview and it seems that most of the players are coming back so obviously it will be good. The non-conference schedule will challenge us also."
"You look at this like a great opportunity. If I didn't feel this was a special place, I wouldn't be standing here. I really think there is a great opportunity to do some nice things. I would hope this turns out to be a lot of fun for all of us."
