https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/...413688002/

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/20/226846...1-wildcats

LC Sun article is mostly NMSU focused
Desert News article talks more about his Weber State days and is pretty interesting too and has plenty of things I didn't know.

He's in the Hall of Fame at schools. Won 4 Big West regular season titles, 2 BW tourney titles and made 5 trips to the NCAA's while at NMSU. Second in wins to Lou Henson.

McCarthy won Big West Coach of the Year honors twice. That was in a league mostly run by UNLV and Jerry Tarkanian. Yet McCarthy held his own.

(09-21-2021 02:06 AM)jdgaucho Wrote:  McCarthy won Big West Coach of the Year honors twice. That was in a league mostly run by UNLV and Jerry Tarkanian. Yet McCarthy held his own.

I agree. Winning Big West or PCAA Coach of the Year in that era was a challenge. A lot of good coaches were in that league at the time, not just Tark.

During the time Neil McCarthy was coaching NMSU in the Big West, the following coaches were also in the conference at one time or another...

UNLV (6)... Jerry Tarkanian (509-105), Rollie Massimino (36-21), Tim Grgurich (2-5), Howie Landa (5-2), Cleveland Edwards (5-9), Bill Bayno (94-64)
Long Beach State (4)... Ron Palmer (23-64), Joe Harrington (53-36), Seth Greenburg (105-70), Wayne Morgan (91-84)
Cal State Fullerton (4)... George McQuarn (122-117), John Sneed (55-59), Brad Holland (23-31), Bob Hawking (59-103)
Fresno State (3)... Boyd "Tiny" Grant (194-74), Ron Adams (43-72), Gary Colson (76-73)
Utah State (3)... Rod Tueller (138-121), Kohn Smith (63-78), Larry Eustachy (98-53)
UC Irvine (3)... Bill Mulligan (163-156), Rod Baker (52-116), Pat Douglass (197-191)
Pacific (3)... Tom O'Neil (51-110), Denis Willens (0-12), Bob Thomason (437-321)
San Jose State (2)... Bill Berry (142-144), Stan Morrison (72-172)
North Texas (2)... Tim Jankovich (53-57), Vic Trilli (20-87)
Idaho (2)... Kermit Davis (63-29), David Farrar (49-61)
Nevada (2)... Len Stevens (91-79), Pat Foster (90-81)
UC Santa Barbara (1)... Jerry Pimm (222-201)
Boise State (1)... Rod Jenson (109-93)
Cal Poly (1)... Jeff Schneider (70-84)

Neil McCarthy was beloved by his players. A really good coach.









I would have posted these videos on the Aggie Board as well but the moderators there are being silly stupid right now.

I.went to some Aggie games before he was our coach, but he is the first coach I really remember well. And I met him at basketball camp so that made a big impression on me.

When the Aggies beat UNLV the year UNLV won the National Championship on ESPN. NMSU made the NCAA Tournament that year and got a 6th seed.