SLIPPERY ROCK— If patience is a virtue, Kevin Reynolds is a pretty virtuous man.

After 16 years as an assistant coach at the collegiate level, Reynolds, 38, was introduced as Slippery Rock University's new men's basketball coach Thursday.

"I am extremely excited,"Reynolds said. "It's been a goal of mine to be a head coach for as long as I can remember. This is a dream come true for me."

A 1991 Bloomsburg graduate, Reynolds played basketball four years there. He broke into coaching with Indiana (Pa.), spending five years on staff there as a graduate assistant, assistant coach and associate head coach.

During his final two years at IUP, the Indians finished 27-3 and 29-2, respectively, reaching the NCAADivision II's Elite Eight and Final Four.

Reynolds spent a year as an assistant at Edinboro before breaking into the Division I ranks. He was an assistant coach at Drake for six years, at the University of Denver for three and at Morehead State last season before joining The Rock.

Morehead State finished 15-15 overall and in third place in the Ohio Valley Conference. The team was picked to finish 10th in the 11-team league and coach Donnie Tyndall was named conference coach of the year.

"He has always been one of the top assistant coaches in all of Division I basketball," Tyndall said of Reynolds in a released statement. "His work ethic, attention to detail and his commitment to do things the right way make Kevin a home run hire for Slippery Rock University."

SRU's recent history of losing — one winning season in the past 17 years — doesn't bother Reynolds.

Denver won the Sun Belt Conference during a year it was picked to finish last. Reynolds was on staff that season.

"Stuff can happen. I've seen it happen,"Reynolds said. "The natural goal is to win our division of the PSACnext year Every team should be shooting for that."

Reynolds served as interim head coach for half of the 2006-07 season at Denver. The team finished 4-24 overall, 3-12 under his tutelage.

He was not offered an opportunity to become Denver's head coach, though he was recruiting coordinator there.

A four-person committee was formed to review the 187 applications SRUreceived for its head coaching vacancy. Assistant athletic director Andy Major chaired that committee, which included Rock women's basketball coach Laurel Heilman, faculty athletic representative Brian Crow and outgoing SRUbasketball player Jamar Scales.

"We got down to five applicants, any one of whom could have done the job, but Kevin came in and knocked our socks off,"Major said.

"He had all the right answers and they were genuine answers. He was incredibly organized."

Reynolds came to his interview with a folder containing the names and whereabouts of every basketball player from Pennsylvania currently playing for a Division I, II or IIIprogram.

His organizational skills and contacts are what sold SRUathletic director Paul Lueken on Reynolds.

"We wanted someone who knows our recruiting base, can organize a program and wants to play exciting basketball,"Lueken said. "Kevin fills all those counts."

Lueken said he's received more than 100 applications for the men's basketball assistant coaching position, which he hopes to fill as soon as possible.

"I have a coach in mind for that position and he'll be interviewed,"Reynolds said. "He's got plenty of contacts, too."

The Rock had no seniors on the roster of this year's team that finished 7-20 overall, 4-8 in the PSACWest. Scales is not returning for his final year of eligibility, however, and three other players are in the process of transferring.

"We're late in the recruiting process, but there are still some quality high school players out there and we may bring in a couple of other guys,"Reynolds said.

"Our first step is to construct a schedule conducive to winning here. We'll assess the talent, see what we have and what we need, then go from there.

"My goal is to bring this program back to the glory years of the late '80s and early '90s. I remember what it was like here then. I'll settle for nothing less."