"I let him know that I would lean on him very hard because I have great faith in his ability to assess talent, to guide me, push me in the right direction," Theus said. "My enthusiasm level and my energy and my passion for the game will take care of itself. With (Petrie), I think it's going to help that learning curve be very short."

"There's a trail of broken dreams among those who have previously moved from college to the NBA. That's the reality."

"People that know me know that I am not someone who gets speechless, but right now I am," Theus said Tuesday night. "When I got involved in the interview process, I really didn't give it much thought. It was just a chance to experience an NBA interview, and I never thought about this really happening."

"I noticed one thing when talking to Theus: he's likable. Don't get it twisted-I don't think the former star will be soft on players. But I do think he'll succeed as a tough-love coach with Sacramento."