LAS CRUCES – Former New Mexico State men’s basketball coach Neil McCarthy died Saturday at his home in Utah. He was 81 years old.
McCarthy was inducted to the New Mexico State University Athletics Hall of Fame last year.
His tenure at New Mexico State from 1985-97 will be remembered for producing the second-best record in the history of the program. However, 22 of his 248 wins and the team’s 1992 Sweet 16 appearance were vacated by the NCAA for academic fraud.
McCarthy was fired in 1997 and didn’t coach again.
“I think Coach should be remembered for all of the success that the Aggies have had,” former Aggies and NBA guard Randy Brown said.