By snoadmin
The Larry Reynolds era as the Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach is officially over.
Athletic Director Vic Cegles announced late Tuesday afternoon via e-mail that Reynolds will not be offered a new contract and that a national search for a replacement will begin immediately.
“We appreciate the hard work and leadership that Larry provided,” said
Cegles via e-mail. “However, I believe it is in the best interest of the university and the men’s basketball program to make a change. We had a banner season, but upon an extensive review I came to the conclusion that a foundation had not been built to ensure long-term success.”
Reynolds was the 15th men’s basketball coach in LBSU history and the first since 1995 to lead the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament.
“I would like to thank Long Beach State for giving me the opportunity and for the support of the campus, students and community. I wish the program well,” Reynolds said in an e-mail statement.
Former LBSU Athletic Director Bill Shumard hired Reynolds on April 1, 2002, to a five-year contract. In his first three seasons at the helm, Reynolds never won more than 10 games and lost at least 20 games in each of those seasons.
For the 2005-06 season, Reynolds changed the face of the team by bringing in an array of talented junior college transfer student-athletes, notably Aaron Nixon, Kejuan Johnson, Dominique Ricks and Sterling Byrd.
The new players had an immediate impact, as LBSU finished the season 18-12 and advanced to the Big West championship game in Anaheim before losing to Pacific.
This season, Reynolds, who was named 2007 Big West Coach of the Year, coached LBSU to a 24-8 record and a Big West Conference regular season and conference tournament championship. In what turned out to be Reynolds’ last game as LBSU’s head coach, the 49ers lost 121-86 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Tennessee last Friday in Columbus, Ohio.
Reynolds did face some controversy earlier this season when the athletic department announced in February that the men’s basketball program was under investigation by the NCAA for possible recruiting violations.
Seniors Mark Dawson and Johnson, along with assistant coach Reggie Howard, who was in charge of recruiting, were suspended from the team. Dawson and Johnson returned to the team after being out three games, but Howard was suspended for the remainder of the season.
Reynolds’ tenure as the head men’s basketball coach ends with a 63-83 overall record.
