Why Does UNLV Always Find a Way to Screw This Up?
Every time UNLV basketball has a chance to take a real step forward, they do the opposite.
It’s not just bad luck. It’s become a tradition.
Coaching hire after coaching hire turns into chaos, a PR mess, or both. Whether it’s bad timing, booster drama, NIL failures, or straight-up indecision — the program always finds a way to fumble the most important decision it has.
Let’s run through the history, because this isn’t just one mistake — it’s a 15-year pattern of dysfunction.
Lon Kruger Leaves (2011)
Kruger brought consistency. He made four NCAA Tournaments in five years, had the team ranked, and was respected nationally. He stabilized the program after years of instability.
But boosters weren’t happy.
They didn’t think tournament appearances were enough. They wanted more. So when Oklahoma offered $2.2M/year, UNLV wouldn’t match it. They let their most successful coach since Tark walk out the door.
And they’ve been chasing stability ever since.
Dave Rice Era (2011–2016)
A former Rebel. A fan favorite. Solid start. But when things started slipping, UNLV fired him midseason in 2016 — then waited until the end of the year to find a replacement.
They went into that hiring cycle with no urgency, no plan, and it set the tone for the mess that followed.
Chris Beard Fiasco (2016)
UNLV landed the hottest mid-major coach on the market in Beard. Everyone celebrated.
Ten days later, he bailed for Texas Tech.
There was no protection in the deal. No leadership from the top. Just a coach walking, and a school left scrambling in public.
Marvin Menzies (2016–2019)
The fallback hire after Beard walked. It was rushed. Forced.
And it never worked.
Menzies had moments, but the fanbase never bought in. Recruiting dipped. The product wasn’t good enough.
It ended exactly how it looked from the start — like a hire made out of desperation.
T.J. Otzelberger (2019–2021)
Finally, some hope. Otzelberger brought energy and recruiting chops. Year 1 looked promising.
But he had one foot out the door from the jump.
As soon as Iowa State opened, he was gone — leaving with a losing record at UNLV. Another short-term run, another missed opportunity.
Kevin Kruger (2021–2025)
This hire was all budget.
COVID-era constraints. Familiar name. Easy PR win. But no real experience. It was a cost-effective move, not a competitive one.
Kruger gave it his best, but the team never took the next step.
No tournament bids. No real momentum. Just more mediocrity.
UNLV pulled the plug this March — and that’s where this most recent circus begins.
The 2025 Hodgson Disaster
Bryan Hodgson. In the building. National buzz. Local media in his corner. The perfect modern hire.
And then?
UNLV couldn’t close.
NIL wasn’t close to competitive. Boosters were nowhere to be found. The admin was a mess behind the scenes.
So Hodgson walked — to USF — and left UNLV standing at the altar.
It was a new level of embarrassment.
A program with tradition, a fanbase starving for relevance, and real momentum… fumbled it all.
Josh Pastner Is the Result — Not the Plan
Now UNLV is hiring Josh Pastner, who hasn’t coached in two years and was clearly not the first (or second) choice. It’s not a terrible hire, but it’s not bold. It’s not modern. It’s a patch after a process that exposed every internal issue in the program.
The Pattern Is Clear
This isn’t just about bad luck.
It’s about leadership. Infrastructure. NIL. Booster support. Direction.
UNLV keeps screwing up basketball hires because the system is broken:
• No alignment between admin, donors, and athletics
• NIL structure disorganized or nonexistent
• Coaching searches dragged, leaked, mishandled
• A once-proud job that now scares away rising talent
Until that changes, it won’t matter who sits on the bench.
Because no coach can succeed when the foundation is this shaky.
Final Word
UNLV doesn’t have a coaching problem.
It has a leadership problem.
Until that gets fixed — this will keep happening.
And the program that once defined West Coast basketball will keep spinning its wheels, stuck in the same cycle:
A job with tradition. But no traction.