The Pistolier's Pick

• Played 4 years of college ball (2 at UNC Wilmington, 2 at Clarion U)
• 6 years as an assistant coach (3 at Kansas, 3 at Pitt)
• 8 years as head coach at UMass where he won 6 A-10 regular season championships and 5 A-10 tournament championships. Went to the 1996 Final Four with the help of Marcus Camby
• 2+ years as head coach of the New Jersey Nets (72-112) .391
  
• 1 season as assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers
• Age when hired at Memphis: 41
• Previously stated he would like to coach at: Kentucky

No! No! No! At his resume! ....C'mon man! Hide the women and children.

There, that's better. Now, his street cred...

• 3 years of college ball at UNLV, led them to the 1977 Final Four and, please sit down first Tiger fans, shot 81.8% from the free throw line.
• 9th pick of the 1978 draft, Rookie of the Year runner-up
• 13 years in the NBA, 2-time All-Star
• 2 years as assistant coach at Loserville, was Loserville's top recruiter, CUSA regular season and tourney titles in 2005 leading to a Final Four appearance.
• 2 years as head coach at New Mexico State, turned team from 6-24 in 04-05 before he arrived to 16-14 in 05-06 ...5th best turnaround in D-1 history. They went 25-9 in 06-07 and won the WAC and a NCAA tourny bid. Recruited 5-Star prospect Herb Pope to NMSU beating out Memphis, Loserville, Pitt, and Texas.
• 1+ year as head coach of the Sacramento Kings (44-62) .415
• Current age: 51... older you are less likely you are to use us as a launchpad for another school
• Previously stated he would like to coach at: his alma mater UNLV... he has applied and been rejected twice. But, Memphis would drink UNLV's milkshake anyday.

So that is Reggie Theus as a coach. Theus off the court is equally as impressive. After retiring from his playing days, he spent almost 10 years as an actor and basketball television analyst so he knows how to put on a good show and knows how to deal with the media. He is also very involved in charitable organizations where ever he goes, including: the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, NBA's Stay in School program, and Reggie Theus' Trikes for Kids. He is also happily married with 3 kids.

So, while maybe not the big name everybody is looking for, he's almost the same product with the same potential as Cal had when he came. For this reason, Reggie Theus is my pick for the UofM coaching job.

Sources: wikipedia.org and nba.com