Now, we have it from Snake himself.

Far from being disrespectful, coach Jim Boylen was the picture of friendliness and respect when he approached the notorious bald-and-tattooed superfan before the Utes and Lobos played at The Pit the other night.

"He really gave it to me before the game," said Snake, whose real name is Mark Tichenor. "I really was flattered by it. I really think he's going to be a good coach for you all. You'd better not let him get away. If I didn't have Steve Alford, I'd want this guy."

Tichenor said Boylen is the first visiting coach in his 30 years of attending New Mexico games who sought him out for an introduction -- "that's what kind of freaked me out," he said -- and teased him by knowing his real name.

"He said, 'Your real name is Mark Tichenor,'" Tichenor recalled. "'What kind of a name is that for a guy whose name is Snake? That's like an accountant whose name is Spike."

Tichenor said he felt honored that Boylen knew him -- Boylen said his players and assistant coaches had given him the heads-up about him -- and enjoyed teasing him both before and during the game. "I told him, 'You're crazier than I am,'" Tichenor said. "He's going to be a fun coach to have a fun time with. ... He took it right to me, man. I loved it."