Long Beach State basketball coach Larry Reynolds is about to begin his fifth and, possibly, final season at the school.
Despite having a team that won 18 games last season and was just one victory short (in the Big West Conference Tournament championship game against Pacific) of the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1995, Reynolds didn’t receive a contract extension after Vic Cegles was hired as the school’s athletic director early last summer.
At least one of Reynolds’ Big West counterparts doesn’t seem to agree with that move – or, non move.
``Larry has got his team playing a style that fits the talent he can recruit to the school,’’ UOP Coach Bob Thomason said during the conference’s media day in Irvine Wednesday.
``On paper, they should be the favorite (to win the conference) because they finished strong last season and have the most guys back.’’
As for Reynolds’ future at the school ``I think Long Beach needs to extend his contract, so he can continue to go out and recruit the kind of players (the 49ers have now, with the likes of projected all-conference players Aaron Nixon and Kejuan Johnson),’’ Thomason said.
Reynolds continues to take his ``on the hot seat status’’ good naturedly.
``We’re probably one of the few teams in the country and (the coach is) still on the `hot seat’,’’ he said, smiling.
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