RALEIGH, N.C. » North Carolina State has hired former Hawaii assistant and UCLA head coach Larry Farmer as its director of player development for men’s basketball.

Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried announced the hiring Thursday.

Farmer had 166 wins in 12 seasons as a head coach at UCLA, Weber State and Loyola of Chicago. He went 61-23 with one NCAA Tournament trip while coaching the Bruins from 1981-84.

He spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Western Michigan and was on Hawaii’s staff before that.

Gottfried says Farmer "is a proven winner and will add a great deal to our program."

Player involved in Knight choking incident dies

Neil Reed, the former Indiana basketball player who coach Bob Knight was caught on tape choking in 1997, has died after collapsing at his central California home. He was 36.

Pioneer Valley High School Principal Shanda Herrera said Reed died Thursday morning of heart complications in Nipomo, Calif.

In March 2000, Reed accused Knight of choking him during a practice in 1997.

When video of the practice surfaced backing Reed’s claim, the Hall of Fame coach, who was known for his temper as well as his success, was put on a zero-tolerance policy by then-Indiana University President Dr. Myles Brand.

That September, Knight, who became head coach at Indiana in 1971 and won three national championships, was fired after a student accused him of grabbing his arm.

"Believe it or not, I’m not happy that Indiana fired Coach Knight," Reed told ESPN The Magazine at the time. "I don’t have any feelings about it, mostly because I’ve had to stand alone for so long. In a way, I’ve been proven right, but that doesn’t make my life any easier."

Reed transferred to Southern Mississippi shortly after the incident at Indiana and played there in the 1998-99 season. He told the magazine he "fell out of love" with basketball.

Herrera said Reed had worked at the Santa Maria school since 2007 coaching football, basketball, golf and teaching physical education.

"The shock of the passing of Neil Reed and the sadness we feel for his wife, two daughters and entire family is overwhelming," Indiana coach Tom Crean posted on his Twitter account Thursday. "Tragic news."

Reed is survived by his wife, Kelly, and two daughters.