New UNLV Basketball Coach Josh Pastner Calls New Job A ‘Sleeping Giant,’ High-Energy Pastner Wants To Ignite City, Rejuvenate Once-Powerful Program
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — In Las Vegas’ growing sports market, UNLV basketball has been the Blockbuster Video of the local sports scene.
It was a dominating brand back in the day. Now, the brand has a nostalgic feel to it as the aging fan base for UNLV basketball conjures up championship memories that are 35 years old.
The Runnin’ Rebels basketball coaches have come and go. Sometimes, they don’t even bother to show up to coach like Chris Beard and Mick Cronin in 2016
The most recent head coach was likable Kevin Kruger, a former UNLV point guard who was fired by UNLV Athletic Director Erick Harper less than two weeks ago after he failed to make the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season despite a 76-55 record during his four-year run.
About three month after Harper introduced a new football head coach, Dan Mullen, the UNLV AD went back to the college sports TV world and plucked another known quantity for his new basketball coach.
An ultra-enthusiastic, high-motored Josh Pastner said hi to a room full of UNLV supporters, officials and sports boosters with a view of the Strip at Thomas & Mack Center. The high-energy Pastner said he wants to bring UNLV’s former basketball greats back into the Runnin’ Rebels fold.
Pastner’s contract of a five-year deal for $4.8 million, or an average of $960,000 a season for each of the five years. There are incentives for winning the Mountain West Conference, making the the NCAA tournament as an at-large team and reaching the Final Four. Pastner also gets a Thomas & Mack Center suite and two cars to use.
Harper said Pastner is the man to take UNLV’s basketball program back to a position of national prominence.
“He wanted the UNLV job,” Harper said.
Pastner said he got chills to put on the UNLV basketball polo shirt.
He said back in 1997 when he was a player on the Arizona basketball team the two West Coast basketball powers were Arizona and UNLV. (There’s also UCLA).
“I’m just the gatekeeper,” Pastner said.
It’s been 12 years since UNLV has made the NCAA national tournament.
