New Mexico State said it will immediately conduct a nationwide search for Theus' replacement.

Theus brought excitement and credibility to the Aggies, whose fans packed the Pan American Center, and landed recruits including Herb Pope, a 6-foot-9 star from Pennsylvania. After Theus interviewed for the Charlotte Bobcats' vacancy last month, the school rewarded him last month with a new long-term contract worth $466,000 per season, making him the WAC's highest-paid coach.

But Theus' skills and style ¡ª his players called him "Hollywood" because of his designer suits and preening poses on the sideline ¡ª along with his winning record and Sacramento roots appealed to the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie, the Kings' top executive.

"I'm happy for coach and extremely pleased with the shape our program is in," New Mexico State athletic director Dr. McKinley Boston said in the school's statement. "We will work towards an appropriate transition that will protect the welfare of our student-athletes as well as our incoming recruits.

"We're happy and disappointed, but at the same time we recognize what a wonderful opportunity this is for Reggie and that in time he will do a wonderful job."

Theus, a two-time All-Star from UNLV, joined the Kansas City Kings during the 1983-84 season and moved along with the franchise to Sacramento in 1985. He was the Kings' second-leading scorer during their inaugural year in Northern California, then led the club in scoring during the next two seasons before he was traded to Atlanta.

After leaving the NBA in 1991, Theus played overseas and spent several years as an NBA television analyst for various networks while pursuing an acting career.

Theus wasn't a coach, but he played one on TV: Coach Bill Fuller, that is, for three seasons on TV in the Saturday-morning show "Hang Time."

After short stops with the ABA and Cal State-Los Angeles, Theus spent two years as Rick Pitino's assistant at Louisville before taking over at New Mexico State.

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