UNLV makes ‘tremendous hire’ with new basketball coach
Josh Pastner has been hired as UNLV’s men’s basketball coach, the school announced in an Instagram post Tuesday morning.
Pastner replaces Kevin Kruger, who was fired March 15.
Related: Read the details of Josh Pastner’s UNLV contract
Pastner, 47, previously coached at Memphis and Georgia Tech. He has a career record of 276-187 over 14 seasons. He took five teams to the NCAA Tournament and two to the National Invitation Tournament, including a runner-up finish in 2017.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Pastner to the UNLV family as he takes the helm of the Runnin’ Rebel basketball program,” athletic director Erick Harper said in a statement. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Josh for over 20 years, following his remarkable career from Arizona to Memphis and Georgia Tech. He is a fearless and relentless recruiter with success as a head coach, and is also an exceptional communicator, deeply committed to engaging with the Las Vegas community. Furthermore, Josh is committed to connecting with Runnin’ Rebel alumni, ensuring that everyone feels involved in the program’s success. We are confident that he will lead us to win championships and return the Runnin’ Rebels to the NCAA Tournament.”
Kruger, 41, was fired after four seasons and no NCAA Tournament appearances. He was 76-55 at UNLV.
The Rebels haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013.
It was thought earlier Monday that Arkansas State coach Bryan Hodgson was headed to UNLV, but he took the South Florida job and a six-year contract instead.
Multiple sources confirmed Hodgson was offered the Rebels’ position before turning his attention to South Florida.
UNLV then turned its full attention to Pastner, who is expected to receive a five-year deal.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to UNLV Officer in Charge Dr. Chris Heavey and Athletics Director Erick Harper for this incredible opportunity,” Pastner said in a statement. “I am truly enthused about becoming the head coach of the Runnin’ Rebels. This has always been a dream job for me, and I fully recognize the significance of UNLV in the landscape of college basketball. The program holds great importance for both the Las Vegas community and the region, and I am eager to unite Rebel Nation with the goal of restoring the program to national prominence.”
Tireless recruiter
Pastner began his coaching career as an assistant at Arizona — where he was part of the 1997 national championship team as a walk-on freshman — from 2002 to 2008.
He left the Wildcats to become an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under John Calipari at Memphis. Pastner earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter nationally.
He became the Memphis coach in 2009 after Calipari took the Kentucky job. Pastner, who took over at age 31, was 167-73 in seven seasons with the Tigers and led them to four NCAA Tournaments, but never advanced past the second round.
His best season came in 2012-13, when Memphis was 31-5 overall and 16-0 in Conference USA play.
Pastner didn’t find as much success after leaving for Georgia Tech in 2016.
He was 109-114 in seven seasons. He took the team to the NCAA Tournament just once. Georgia Tech finished better than 10th in the ACC standings twice.
He was fired in March 2023.
“This isn’t a good hire for UNLV, but a tremendous hire for UNLV,” said former Arizona and UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood, who has known Pastner since the coach was 17. “As most things come down in life with the hiring process, you make sure it’s the right fit, the right time and the right place.
“All of those things measure up for UNLV and Josh. It’s the right time for Josh, who has been out of coaching for a couple years. It’s the right time for UNLV because people are going to want to come to Thomas & Mack Center.”
Pastner, since the end of his Georgia Tech tenure, has been a college basketball analyst for ESPN, NBC Sports and CBS Sports Network.
One of his new colleagues has a similar line on his resume. Dan Mullen was a college football analyst for ESPN before being hired to coach UNLV in December.
Coaching is in Pastner’s blood. His father, Hal, is one of the country’s most well-known AAU coaches out of the Houston area.
Josh Pastner showed an interest in following the same career path early on. He was publishing the “Josh Pastner Scouting Report,” which covered local high school talent in Houston, by age 13.
Pastner was coaching the Houston Hoops AAU summer squad by 16. He worked with future NBA players Emeka Okafor, T.J. Ford and Daniel Gibson there.
Get to work
“Josh has this in his blood,” Livengood said. “It’s what he is meant to do. The greatest thing about Josh is he is as sincere as anybody you’d want to be around. He’ll make people feel good but it won’t be phony. The timing for him right now couldn’t be better.
“Recruits will know who he is. He’s going to play a style that’s fun for Vegas. All the things that will be good for the Runnin’ Rebels.”
One thing that has hurt UNLV for several years is apathy from a fan base that has grown tired of seasons falling short of the NCAA Tournament.
UNLV had an average announced crowd of 4,969 this season, down from 5,224 in Kruger’s first year.
“They need to get people back in the Thomas & Mack,” Livengood said. “They need people to come and say, ‘I like this and I will be back.’ That’s what Josh is about. It’s about everybody with him.”
Pastner will need to get to work quickly. The transfer portal opened Monday.
UNLV could lose several players, including star point guard Dedan Thomas Jr.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
