Air Force Academy – Even Jeff Reynolds was in a little state of shock Tuesday when he was introduced as the men’s basketball coach at Air Force.
Reynolds said he had been on a whirlwind couple of days that brought him from an oral agreement to be an assistant coach at Colorado with Jeff Bzdelik to a five-year contract to become Air Force’s seventh men’s basketball coach.
“I didn’t pursue this job,” Reynolds said Tuesday during a news conference. “I had checked out of the academy. But I’m excited to be guiding this program. I didn’t need my wife to pick me up at the airport last night, because I could have jogged home.
“There is going to be some bumps in the road. We all know that, but I’ll work my butt off, you can count on that, to continue the success this program has had.”
The tone of Tuesday’s news conference was subdued, yet emotional. A member of the audience claimed it was like a funeral and accused the media of asking “ridiculous questions.” But there was a need to explore how Reynolds had become such a surprise choice.
He had not been mentioned as a candidate because of a commitment to CU, and most of the attention had focused on assistant coaches Larry Mangino and A.J. Kuhle for the Air Force job. In an emotional moment during his introduction, Reynolds told of being contacted Sunday morning by Air Force’s search committee while in North Carolina. He was there to be with his ailing mother, Alice Reynolds, who had undergone serious surgery and didn’t know him when he arrived Thursday.
Reynolds also was concerned how he would tell Bzdelik, whom he considered to be his best friend, that he was not going to be on his CU staff. CU and Air Force are scheduled to meet at Clune Arena at the beginning of next season.
“It will be a fun game,” Bzdelik said.
Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh provided the sequence that led the search committee – consisting of himself, vice athletic director Brad DeAustin and senior associate athletic director Mike Saks – to Reynolds.
Bzdelik said he recommended Air Force talk to all of his assistant coaches. Reynolds remembered he attended the interview in sweats and a polo shirt.
“Jeff Reynolds will do an outstanding job,” Bzdelik said. “He’s experienced, intelligent, a hard worker and a perfect fit for the Air Force Academy.”
Said Mueh of the interview with Reynolds: “We absolutely were blown away by his passion, emotion and vision. We wanted to be fair and we talked to some other candidates, but we always came back to Jeff Reynolds.”
Mueh said one of the toughest jobs he had in the process was telling Mangino, an Air Force assistant for seven years, he wasn’t being promoted. Mueh didn’t answer when asked if Mangino had been the choice of the players, saying it wasn’t relevant.
Mueh said the financial terms of Reynolds’ contract will be similar to what Bzdelik was making, but Mueh had insisted on a $500,000 buyout clause. Bzdelik was earning in excess of $400,000 with incentives.
As the fourth head coach in the past five years, Reynolds promised he wasn’t looking at the Air Force job as a steppingstone. He said he hadn’t had time to think about a coaching staff, but indicated he would welcome discussion with Mangino and Kuhle.
“I’m exploring all of my options and that includes possibly staying at Air Force,” said Mangino, who did not attend Tuesday’s news conference.
Kuhle was at Tuesday’s news conference, but said nothing had been decided.
Reynolds called himself a “nuts and bolts guy” who faces the task of continuing the Falcons’ success without six seniors, four of them starters.
“We’re retooling with different players,” Reynolds said. “I’m passionate about what I do and I’m a 50-year-old idiot at times. If you’ll give me a chance and have some patience and loyalty, we’ll give you a product you’ll be proud of.”
Players on hand were in agreement it is time for Air Force basketball to move on. They noted the advantages of a coach who is familiar with the Mountain West Conference and the system has helped make the program successful.
Air Force sophomore Andrew Heinke said the players had no hard feelings toward Reynolds over his initial decision to go to CU.
“We welcome him back and we’re ready to get to work,” Heinke said. “I’m not sure if this was a shock or more of a surprise, but everybody is ready to move on.”
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
