Reno Has Plenty of Memories for Stevens
Len Stevens, UC Irvine assistant basketball coach, goes home Saturday when Irvine visits Nevada. Or at least it’s where he has the deepest roots. Like most coaches, Stevens has bounced around.
He has worked in places that seem heavenly--last year he and his wife lived in Switzerland, where Stevens was head coach of the Neuchatel Basketball Club.
He has worked in places that seem Godforsaken--six years in Pullman, Wash., four as Washington State’s head coach. Reno, though, tugs the strongest.
“It’s going to be a funny feeling sitting on the other side,” Stevens said. “I’m going to have to put that out of my mind before the game starts, and get down to business.”
Business wasn’t bad for six seasons in Reno. Stevens was the only coach in Nevada’s history to have five consecutive winning seasons. The Wolf Pack had a 91-79 record during his tenure.
He was fired after the 1993 season, after finishing 9-17 and 4-14 in the Big West Conference.
Stevens was so fond of Reno he opened a restaurant there, which he has since sold. He also has family ties there, with his son and youngest daughter living in the area. Erik Stevens is the junior varsity coach at Reno Reed High School. Stevens will attend his son’s game on Friday.
“I still have a lot of friends that I have stayed in touch with,” Stevens said. “From that standpoint, it’s going to be fun to go back and see them.”
Stevens doesn’t discuss his dismissal. But some in Reno, including boosters, questioned it at the time. It seemed strange that Athletic Director Chris Ault would pull the rug out after the whirlwind effort he made to hire Stevens.
In 1987, Nevada was close to hiring Rick Majerus, then a Marquette assistant. Stevens, who had recently left Washington State, wasn’t even after the Nevada job. Instead, he was interviewing at Ball State.
“I think they had even planned a press conference for Rick,” Stevens said.
But Majerus decided to stay in the Midwest and turned his interest to Ball State. Nevada officials, in turn, looked to Stevens.
“I was at the Final Four in New Orleans when they called me,” Stevens said. “I flew in on a Thursday evening at 9 and interviewed with the committee between 11 and midnight. I then talked with Chris Ault until 3 a.m. At seven the next morning, I met the [university] president and they offered me the job. They held a press conference that afternoon and then I flew off to Denver to do a clinic.”
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Welcome to the Big West Conference’s Western Division, where Pacific leads but confusion reigns.
“You can’t really talk about anyone being in last place,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said. “They could be in second place the following week.”
Such disarray makes Irvine’s game against Cal State Fullerton on Thursday pivotal. Fullerton is tied for fifth in the division, two games behind Irvine. The top four teams make the conference tournament, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is not eligible for the playoffs.
An Anteater victory means the Titans will likely have to do something extraordinary--like beat Nevada, Pacific or Utah State--to have much of a chance of overtaking Irvine.
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Guard Lamarr Parker has scored in double figures in five consecutive games. Center Matt Willard, who missed a month because of mononucleosis, has scored in double figures in three of the last five games.
“Lamarr seems to have more interest about the contests, he’s more involved,” Douglass said. “That’s self-motivation on his part, it’s nothing I’ve said.
“Matt has completed his preseason the last couple weeks. Lamarr has just competed his indoctrination.”
Parker has improved defensively as well.
“If he can find his man,’ Douglass said.
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Youth is being served . . . and volleyed . . . with the Irvine women’s tennis team. The top five singles players are four freshmen and a sophomore.
“The obvious disadvantage is the experience factor of playing college tennis,” Coach Mike Edles said. “On the other hand, they don’t have the baggage of some of the experiences this program has had in the past.”
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In beating San Luis Obispo Friday, the Irvine women’s basketball team won its first road game after eight consecutive losses. The Anteaters followed that with a respectable 79-72 loss at first-place UC Santa Barbara.
“We had a one-point lead with three minutes left in the half and they went on a 10-1 run,” Coach Mark Adams said. “It was a pretty even game in the second half.”
Irvine is averaging nearly 70 points in conference games. The Anteaters scored more than 80 twice in the last three games.
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Coming Attractions
Key events for UC Irvine this week:
* Men’s volleyball hosts USC at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Anteaters were undefeated before losing to No. 3 Pepperdine and No. 15 Loyola Marymount last week.
* Men’s basketball hosts Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. Thursday and plays at Nevada 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
* Women’s basketball plays Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. Friday and Nevada at 2 p.m. Sunday. Both games are in the Bren Center. Nevada is tied for first in the Big West’s Eastern Division.
* Men’s and women’s swimming close out conference meets by hosting Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at noon Saturday.
