Matt L. Stephens

matthewstephens@coloradoan.com

Terrence Rencher is a coward.

The New Mexico assistant basketball coach erased any doubt of that Saturday afternoon when he chose not to get on the team charter bus and instead loitered in the parking lot outside Moby Arena to pick on a kid.

Following New Mexico’s 84-71 victory over CSU on Saturday, an argument between Rencher and Rams senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo was caught on video by the Albuquerque Journal’s Geoff Grammer. In the video, Omogbo is being restrained by Colorado State University coach Larry Eustachy as he yells at Rencher, “You’re lucky I’m being held back. I’d whup your a**!”

Rencher, with two New Mexico assistants standing on either side of him responds, “You ain't whupping nothing,” and “I’m right here.”

Baiting a player into coming after him, knowing he can’t and that it’s only going to make a scene.

Half the blame must go to Omogbo. He could have walked away. Whether he was the one who spoke first outside of Moby Arena on Saturday remains a he said/she said. But he did speak. A lot. In an uncharacteristic fashion.

Saturday was a frustrating game for him. Fourteen points and eight rebounds, but with five turnovers and four fouls. He wasn’t himself. He constantly argued with officials and mouthed a lot of words it didn’t take an expert lip-reader to understand. It’s safe to assume there was more going through Omogbo’s mind than a basketball game.

It will be one year ago Wednesday that he lost his parents, niece and nephew in a house fire in Hyattsville, Maryland. These kinds of anniversaries are difficult.

As for Rencher? This was a showdown a year in the making.

CSU player, New Mexico assistants argue outside arena

There are two kinds of schoolyard bullies. The kind who terrorize others and don’t need backup in a fight. And then there are the ones who pick on people who can’t fight back.

Rencher is the latter.

“When (former CSU point guard) Antwan (Scott) told me (Emmanuel) was trying to fight a New Mexico assistant, I knew it was that black, bald coach,” former CSU forward Fred Richardson said. “Look at the video. What is he doing? Just get on the bus. There’s no reason he needs to stand out there.

“This is a grown a** man trying to intimidate, not only an opposing player, but an opposing player who you already just beat. What else is there for you to gain? Plus, that coach has no idea what’s going on in E’s life. E’s still struggling with the loss of his parents, and you know this week is especially tough on him.”

Rencher (who let’s not forget was one of two New Mexico assistant coaches ejected from Saturday’s game for coming off the bench when Lobos forward Joe Furstinger attempted to start a fight by flexing after a knock-out screen and then pushing CSU guard Anthony Bonner) doesn’t have the best reputation around CSU.

This is only his second season with the Lobos, but Richardson recalled what happened during last year’s meeting in Fort Collins, saying Rencher taunted the Rams during their pregame routine. Richardson said he asked Rencher what his deal was and remembers the coach laughing in response and saying, “How about you just stretch?”

Omogbo tweeted after the game that Rencher, much like he did last year, was “talking crazy” in shootaround just like he did last year.

Analysis: CSU takes step back in loss to New Mexico

As Eustachy, his wife Lana, guard J.D. Paige and a host of others finally got Omogbo to leave the parking lot Saturday, Rencher fired off one last shot.

“Learn how to lose, boy.”

The most unfortunate part of this story is that while Rencher is a coward, he also won Saturday. Not just his team, but he accomplished exactly what he set out to do – get in CSU’s head. Congratulations to a man in his early 40s, who’s paid to teach young men, for successfully bringing out the worst in them.

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports editor Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.

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