Josh Pastner will take over the UNLV's Men's Basketball program. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Report: UNLV Expected to Hire Josh Pastner as Men's Basketball Coach

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI | By Bill Enright | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 11:08 PM ET

According to reports, the UNLV Men's Basketball team has found a new head coach in Josh Pastner, who is expected to sign a five-year contract. Pastner spent the last two seasons as a studio analyst and last coached Georgia Tech from 2016-2023.

ESPN's Pete Thamel took to X to reveal UNLV is in the process of finalizing the five-year contract with Pastner. The former Yellow Jackets coach had some success during his time at Georgia Tech, winning ACC Coach of the Year in 2016/17 and leading them to the NCAA Tournament in 2021. He ultimately finished with a 109-114 record before leaving in 2023.

Sources: UNLV is finalizing a deal to hire veteran college basketball coach Josh Pastner as the school's next head coach, per me and @jeffborzello.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 25, 2025

Before his stint at Georgia Tech, Pastner coached Memphis for seven seasons, finished with a record of 167-73 and made the tournament four times.

The Runnin' Rebels parted ways with their previous head coach Kevin Kruger earlier in March after finishing with an 18-15 record and a sixth place finish in the Mountain West Conference. Kruger had two years remaining on his contract and finished with a record of 75-55. UNLV has not made the March Madness tournament since 2013.

It was also rumored UNLV was interesting in hiring Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson. However multiple sources now confirm Hodgson is staying at Arkansas State.

After firing Kruger, UNLV Director of Athletics, Erick Harper released the following statement:

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Coach Kruger for his hard work, commitment, and dedication over the past four years as head coach of the Runnin’ Rebels. While there have been notable achievements during his tenure, there have also been challenges. We have significant aspirations for our men’s basketball program, both within the Mountain West and on a national level, with the goal of competing in the NCAA Tournament. Our expectation is to contend for and win championships. After evaluating the program as a whole, I believe a change is necessary to achieve these goals.”Erick Harper

Is Pastner the coach to help UNLV contend and win a championship as Harper alluded to? It sounds as if UNLV fans and players will have the next five years to see if that comes to fruition. But first Pastner will need to fill some of the void left by UNLV players entering the transfer portal.