UNLV finds Kevin Kruger successor in ex-ACC head coach
Yesterday at 10:39 PM
UNLV basketball endured a zany Monday involving finding the replacement for Kevin Kruger. Bryan Hodgson looked like the next Rebels head coach, but instead pivoted to South Florida. UNLV, though, finds a former Atlantic Coast Conference coach in the end.
The Rebels are bringing Josh Pastner back to coaching, per ESPN college basketball insider Pete Thamel. Pastner is earning a lengthy deal per Thamel’s words.
“Pastner is set to agree to a five-year deal to coach UNLV. The deal is expected to be completed tonight,” Thamel posted on X.
He comes back to coaching after a two-season sabbatical from being courtside. Pastner took up broadcasting as he awaited his next coaching gig. UNLV is now his third coaching stop.
Details emerge on Kevin Kruger UNLV replacement
The 47-year-old last coached at Georgia Tech. Pastner went 109-114 overall with the Yellow Jackets including producing one March Madness run. That came in the truncated 2020-21 season as the Jackets went 17-9.
Pastner, though, became more successful at Memphis. He took over for John Calipari and spearheaded four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. His 2012-13 team emerged as the best Tigers team he led. That Memphis squad rolled to a 31-5 overall record.
Pastner compiled a 167-73 overall mark while guiding Memphis out of Conference USA and into the American Athletic Conference. He delivered five 20-plus win seasons with the Tigers. But none of his Yellow Jackets teams surpassed the 20-win mark.
Pastner is no stranger to the west. He played for legendary Arizona head coach Lute Olsen and graduated in 1998. He even won the 1997 season national championship with the Wildcats.
Pastner dove into coaching through Olsen, joining his 2002 staff as an assistant. He later landed with Calipari at Memphis before succeeding him.
Now he’s taking over a program that went 74-55 under Kruger. But UNLV failed to win the Mountain West Conference title or enter the NCAA Tournament under him.
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