AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy didn't look far to find its new men's basketball coach, promoting assistant Jeff Reynolds on Tuesday.
Reynolds will replace Jeff Bzdelik, who left for Colorado two weeks ago. The 50-year-old Reynolds is the seventh head coach in the academy's history and the fourth in the past five years.
"My job here is to sustain the success of the program and take it to the next level," Reynolds said.
His five-year deal will be worth around $350,000 a season, about the same figure Bzdelik made with the Falcons. The contract also includes a $500,000 buyout clause, just in case other teams want to lure Reynolds away. Bzdelik's buyout was a comparatively small $270,000.
Athletic director Hans Mueh had joked that he was going to put in a $1 million buyout clause simply because he was tired of losing quality coaches.
Bzdelik went 50-16 at Air Force, but the Buffaloes lured him away for more than $750,000 a year.
Reynolds never had a formal interview. He talked to Mueh for 15 minutes the same day he was turning in his keys and credentials to follow Bzdelik up the road to Colorado. Reynolds had already moved his personal belongings into his office at Colorado and had received a bag of Colorado clothing.
Reynolds was in North Carolina visiting his mom, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, when he received the call Sunday morning from Mueh offering him the position.
"We had the interview with Jeff and we were absolutely blown away by his passion, emotion and vision," Mueh said.
Reynolds also came highly recommended by his good friend Bzdelik.
"Jeff Bzdelik took me aside and said, 'I would encourage you to talk to (Reynolds) about this job,"' Mueh said. "I would probably not have done that because I wanted to honor whatever commitment he had to Jeff (Bzdelik)."
After being offered the position, Reynolds called Bzdelik for advice.
"I said, 'Coach, what do you want me to do?"' said Reynolds, who hadn't officially signed a contract with the Buffaloes. "He said, 'You have my support. If you take the job, I'll feel like I had been a little bit successful in helping you reach your goal.' That was a weight off my shoulders."
Reynolds joined Bzdelik's staff two years ago after serving as an assistant at Tulane from 2000 to 2004. He was the head coach at Division II Wingate in North Carolina from 1997 to 2000, finishing 61-27. He also was head coach for the 1985-86 season at North Carolina Wesleyan, going 21-7.
Air Force players showed up at the press conference to support Reynolds and said they were happy the job went to an assistant. Two other assistants, Larry Mangino and A.J. Kuhle, were also up for the position.
"He still could've chosen CU, but he wanted to be with us and we appreciate that," sophomore guard Adam Hood said. "We feel like he's on our ship and that ship is going in the right direction."
