UNM staff has talked smack before
I’m not the most politically correct guy in the world. Check that. I’m one of the least PC guys in the world. However, I am an adult (argue if you will, but chronologically you will be proven you wrong), and I know it’s not in my best interest to smacktalk with a 21-year-old college senior — especially while representing my employer.
If that 21-year-old old, however — a 6-foot-8, 210-pound basketball player — starts shouting about how he is going to “whoop my ass,” I’m thinking I’d react the way New Mexico assistant men’s basketball coach Terrence Rencher did. But probably just until rational thought kicked in. Rational thought, however, didn’t seem to kick in with Rencher on Saturday, when he had an angry verbal exchange with Colorado State’s senior Emmanuel Omogbo outside of the arena after the Lobos’ 84-71 win against the Rams in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Journal’s Geoff Grammer captured the confrontation on video, and that video made news on ESPN Sports Center and elsewhere.
It gave UNM its second national black eye in as many Saturdays, the Lobos having blown a 25-point lead — including a 14-point cushion with the ball and 1:11 left — in a home loss to Nevada the week before in a mindboggling manner.
But who was more at fault in the Omogbo-Rencher tiff on Saturday?
Who knows? The Mountain West investigated, and it can’t figure out the truth. So it, basically, has left it up to the two schools to decide punishments. “Those involved with this most recent incident will be under close scrutiny going forward — as will all Mountain West constituents,” the league statement read.
We’ve all seen the video, which shows a visibly upset Omogbo being restrained by CSU coach Larry Eustachy from going after Rencher before Eustachy turned and yelled at Rencher, “Will you grow up, (expletive) head?” We can hear some of what Rencher says — including “learn how to lose, boy” — to Omogbo, and we see Rencher keeping his hands in his pockets while calmly saying it.
But we can’t see his facial expressions, and we don’t know what all caused the ill will between Omogbo and Rencher or how deep the ill will goes.
After all, Rencher was one of three UNM staffers standing outside when Omogbo ran into them as he left the arena, but he was the only one with whom Omogbo had words. Why?
With about two minutes left in the game, Rencher and UNM assistant coach Chris Harriman were ejected for leaving the bench and going on the floor, which automatically leads to an ejection. The coaches apparently were attempting to prevent a fracas between the teams after UNM’s Joe Furstinger set a legal but hard pick against the Rams’ J.D. Paige, leaving Paige on the ground and needing medical attention. Furstinger then flexed his muscles and bumped directly into CSU guard Anthony Bonner before play was stopped and with Paige still on the floor.
The officials went to the monitors to sift through what happened, Colorado State’s Prentiss Nixon and New Mexico’s Obij Aget received technical fouls, and the two Lobo coaches were bounced. ESPN showed video of the coaches walking past the CSU bench as they left, and Rencher appears to turn towards the Rams players to say something. What was said? Nobody has said. On Saturday, Eustachy to ESPN accused Rencher of trying to instigate a fight with Omogbo and laughing during the video-recorded exchange when told about the player tragically losing both of his parents in a house fire one year ago this week.
The Journal video did not show such an exchange, and the UNM athletic department said some of the harshest accusations against Rencher were “blatantly false.” The school released the following from athletic director Paul Krebs on Monday:
“While we are disappointed in the role that coach Rencher played in the situation after the game, the reports of him initiating the confrontation and making light of the tragic situation of Emmanuel Omogbo are simply not true, and this is backed up by video evidence and eye-witness accounts. I have discussed the situation with Coach Rencher, and how he can handle something like this better in the future.
“Coach Rencher will receive a letter of reprimand for his role in the incident.”
CSU has decided that it will not punish its players or coaches involved, the Journal learned Tuesday.
The schools have not commented on ESPN’s report that Rencher and Omogbo also exchanged hostile words in a game last year.
Look, I don’t know Rencher from Adam. I never even heard his name until Saturday.
But I do know part of the history of the UNM coaching staff under former head coach Steve Alford and assistantturned-head coach Craig Neal.
And it’s not uncommon to hear the staff talking smack with opposing players.
Alford, who coached at UNM from 2007-13 — with Neal as his top assistant each of those seasons — had such legendary verbal opponent player jousts as:
Good! You’ve been a (bleep) all night,” to TCU’s Zvokno Buljan, after the Horned Frog fouled out in a 2009 game.
“Get the (bleep) out of here. I’ll light your (bleep) up,” to Larry Eustachy’s Southern Miss players, who were escorted up the Pit ramp after losing a close game to UNM in December 2008, while Alford’s Lobos were held down on the court by security to prevent a possible brawl.
On Jan. 6, 2009, as then top Lobos assistant, Neal launched a few obscenities at trash-talking UTEP forward Tavaris Watts.
In 2009, Alford responded to coaches’ verbal clashes with opposing players.
“We’re gonna stand up for our guys,” Alford said, speaking for himself and his staff. “… I don’t know if that’s right or wrong, but it’s the competitive nature that coach Neal and I have as former players.”
On Monday, UNM’s news release included an apology from Rencher:
“I would like to apologize to my family, UNM, CSU and everyone affected by the incident and I acknowledge my fault in the situation. I should have walked away. The situation could have been diffused and I am very regretful of that momentary lapse in judgement. I don’t know Emmanuel personally but he seems to be a good person and good teammate.
“I do want to reiterate that I did not instigate the confrontation and that I never once made light of his personal tragedy or made racially derogatory remarks to him. To be painted in that light is truly disappointing to me. Those types of accusations are very hard to recover from and are totally and unequivocally false. I am hopeful that we can all learn from this and move forward.”
The UNM statement added that there will be no other comments from school regarding this matter.
Other matters, when it comes to Lobo coaches yakking with the opposition, remain to be seen.
The guess is this won’t be the last time a matter like this materializes.