Sometime tonight, Jeff Linder will either sit down and take a deep breath or just plain crash at his home in Boise, Idaho.

Linder has been on quite a ride the past few days, comparable to that of a rock star.

On Sunday afternoon, he was announced as the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Northern Colorado.

The announcement is less than 72 hours after Linder’s official interview for the job at a location in Denver.

He’ll be introduced at 3 this afternoon in the Champions Room at the Butler-Hancock Athletic Center.

Linder comes to UNC after six seasons at Boise State University – three as an assistant coach and three as the associate head coach, working for former UNC assistant coach Leon Rice.

UNC players were informed of the hiring Sunday afternoon.

“I feel really good (about the hiring),” UNC redshirt freshman guard Jordan Davis said. “I’m happy to be moving to the next chapter and to get ready for next year.

“One of my friends from Canyon Springs (Nev.) High School played for Linder at Boise State, so I called him, and he had nothing but good things to say about him. I think everybody is wrapping their heads around it and getting ready for the change.”

UNC senior-to-be Anthony Johnson echoed Davis’ thoughts on moving forward.

“(Linder) seems like a pretty good guy,” Johnson said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about him from different players. I’m kind of looking forward to it. He seems like a very honest man.”

Members of UNC’s team have gone about their normal offseason routines.

“We’ve had workouts and then we go to the (UNC) rec center and play … having some fun,” Johnson said. “As far as a possible penalty from the NCAA, we haven’t heard anything. We’re all just hoping for the best, keeping our heads on straight and work together as a family and sticking together.”

Coming to UNC will be a homecoming of sorts for Linder, who played high school basketball at Centaurus in Louisville and spent one season at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction and three seasons at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison.

His parents live in Mead. Linder didn’t return phone calls to his cell phone Sunday, but talked of his excitement via a press release from UNC.

“I could not be happier or more excited to have the privilege of leading the Northern Colorado men’s basketball program,” Linder said in a news release. “The opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level and work with tremendous student-athletes has always been a goal. I fully understand what it means to be in this position, what it means to the community and the entire city, and to all the alumni locally and nationally. I look forward to returning home to the state of Colorado and continuing to build this program into something everyone can be proud of.”

Linder replaces B.J. Hill, who was fired April 23 for alleged NCAA allegations related to his program. Hill had been UNC’s head coach for 10 seasons.

Neither UNC nor the NCAA have released information about the nature of the alleged NCAA violations, but the school’s athletic director Darren Dunn and president Kay Norton self-reported the violations and immediately fired Hill.

It’s expected the program will be penalized – either self-imposed or by the NCAA or both – losing postseason eligibility and scholarships for at least one season.

Linder will inherit Hill’s recruiting class, including Michael Ranson (Pueblo Central), who is considered to be the top recruit.

“I’m happy and I’m excited to meet with coach Linder,” said Ranson, who averaged 33 points per game this season for Pueblo Central. His high school career scoring average is 23.4.

“I never really wavered from (my commitment) to UNC,” Ranson added. “I’ve always been committed to the program and the school. Having a coach named, though, is definitely a relief. You know, I committed in the summer, so it’s been a long time waiting. I want to get up there, get better, play with the guys and start my career. I’ve heard that (Linder) is great at coaching offense, and that sort of plays into the best part of my game.”

Another top recruit, Gerad Davis, who played for Casper Community College this season, was equally excited to know who his next head coach is.

“He (Linder) recruited me to go to Boise State, so it feels good to be back with somebody who wanted me and who wants to win,” said Gerad, the older brother to Jordan Davis. “Now, it’s even better to know he’ll be coaching me.”

Ranson and Gerad Davis know they’ll be starting their careers with the possibility of being ineligible for postseason play, but said it doesn’t hinder their approach.

“That … I’m just dealing with it one day at a time,” Gerad said. “You have to work hard, regardless. You push past whatever the penalties are, and once we’re off any kind of probation, we’ll work even harder and look for something even bigger than before.”

Added Ranson: “We’ll deal with it. It definitely doesn’t stop us from winning games and that’s what we’re there for. I’m sure everybody will still go out and try to win as many games as possible.”