Neil McCarthy
Neil McCarthy (1940-2021)
Teams coached: Weber State Wildcats, New Mexico State Aggies
Weber State record: 205-105 (.661)
New Mexico State record: 226-111 (.671) **
Overall record: 431-216 (.666) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1991) **
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0 **
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 3 (1984, 1989, 1995)
- Big West Regular Season Champion: 2 (1993, 1994) **
- Big Sky Regular Season Champion: 5 (1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984)
- Big West Tournament Champion: 2 (1992, 1995)
- Big Sky Tournament Champion: 4 (1978, 1979, 1980, 1983)
Awards:
- Big West Coach of the Year: 2 (1989, 1990)
- Big Sky Coach of the Year: 3 (1978, 1980, 1983)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1985-1997 | New Mexico State |
| 1975-1985 | Weber State |
| 1971-1975 | Weber State (asst) |
Neil McCarthy Facts
- Neil McCarthy
- Born May 18, 1940
- Died September 18, 2021
- Hometown: Vallejo, California
- Alma Mater: California State University, Sacramento (BA, 1965)
- Played at Sacramento State under Hall of Fame head coach Everett Shelton
- Started his coaching career at the prep level, spending five seasons as varsity coach at St. Patrick-St. Vincent HS in Vallejo, CA
- Hired in 1971 to join Gene Visscher‘s staff as an assistant coach at Weber State
- Took over as head coach with 12 games remaining in the 1974-75 season, remaining in that role for an additional 10 seasons
- Won 20+ games seven times, claimed five Big Sky regular season titles and four Big Sky Tournament crowns
- Reached the postseason five times (four NCAA, one NIT)
- Left Weber in 1985 to become the head coach at New Mexico State, a position he would hold for 12 seasons
- Won three** Big West titles and two Big West Tournaments during that tenure
- Reached the NIT twice and the NCAA Tournament five** times
- Tenure ended in scandal, surrounding academic misconduct on the part of one of McCarthy’s assistant coaches
- McCarthy was not directly implicated but was held responsible for failing to monitor and was fired in 1997
- Had three NCAA Tournament appearances vacated (3 wins & 3 losses), including a trip to the 1992 Sweet Sixteen, as well as the entire 1995-96 season (19-9 record) and lost their share of the 1996 Big West title
- Passed away in 2021 at the age of 81 at his home in Utah; survived by his wife, Vivian, his two sons and one daughter (with late wife, Lynn)
Neil McCarthy Coaching Tree
- Ben Howland (Mississippi State, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Northern Arizona)
- Dick Hunsaker (Utah Valley, Utah, Manchester, Ball State)
** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA