The following is a list of UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball head coaches at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball program has been led by 16 head coaches in their history. 14 of the 16 coaches have winning records at UNLV.
Jerry Tarkanian led UNLV to the NCAA Division I Tournament Championship in 1990 and the NCAA Division I Men's Final Four in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991.
Jerry Tarkanian was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Rollie Massimino was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tenure | Coach | Record | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|
1969–1970 | Rolland Todd | 17–9 | .654 |
1970–1973 | John Bayer | 43–37 | .538 |
1973–1992 | Jerry Tarkanian | 509–105 | .829 |
1992–1994 | Rollie Massimino | 36–21 | .632 |
1994–1995 | Cleveland Edwards | 5–9 | .357 |
1994–1995 | Howie Landa | 5–2 | .714 |
1994–1995 | Tim Grgurich | 2–5 | .286 |
1995–2001 | Bill Bayno | 94–64 | .595 |
2000–2001 | Max Good | 13–9 | .591 |
2001–2004 | Charlie Spoonhour | 51–31 | .635 |
2003–2004 | Jay Spoonhour | 6–4 | .600 |
2004–2011 | Lon Kruger | 161–71 | .694 |
2011–2016 | Dave Rice | 98–54 | .645 |
2015–2016 | Todd Simon | 9–8 | .529 |
2016–2019 | Marvin Menzies | 48–48 | .500 |
2020–2021 | T. J. Otzelberger | 29–30 | .492 |
2021–present | Kevin Kruger | 18–13 | .581 |
Larry Demetric Johnson is an American former professional basketball player who spent his career as a power forward with the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2008, Johnson was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. He was then inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame on November 24, 2019.
Jerry Tarkanian was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, leading them four times to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, winning the national championship in 1990. Tarkanian revolutionized the college game at UNLV, utilizing a pressing defense to fuel its fast-paced offense. Overall, he won over 700 games in his college coaching career, only twice failing to win 20 games, while never having a losing season. Tarkanian was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Reginald Wayne Theus is an American basketball coach and former player. He played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a two-time NBA All-Star. He is currently the head men's basketball head coach and athletic director at Bethune–Cookman. He was the head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and in college with the New Mexico State Aggies and the Cal State Northridge Matadors men's teams. He was also an assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals under Rick Pitino.
Lonnie Duane Kruger is a retired American college and professional basketball coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University. He has served as the head coach of the University of Texas–Pan American, Kansas State, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the men's basketball team that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Mountain West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); it plays at the Thomas & Mack Center on campus. As of 2009, UNLV had the fourth-highest winning percentage (.712) in Division I history, ranking behind Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas, but ahead of UCLA and Duke. UNLV is 33–19 all-time in the NCAA tournament with a 63.5 winning percentage. In July 2008, ESPNU named the program the eighth most prestigious collegiate basketball program in the nation since the 1984–85 season.
The UNLV Rebels are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The Rebels compete in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The school's colors are scarlet and gray. It was founded in 1958 for basketball in Paradise, Nevada. It did not have a nickname for Nevada Southern at the time from 1958 to 1968.
The 1986–87 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1986–87 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference; it would join the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and become a charter member of its current conference, the Mountain West Conference, in 1999.
The 1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in the 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by 17th-year head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center as a member of the Big West Conference. They finished the season 35–5, 16–2 in Big West play to win the regular season championship. They defeated Cal State Fullerton, Pacific, and Long Beach State to win the Big West Tournament championship. As a result, the received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West region. They defeated Arkansas–Little Rock, Ohio State, Ball State, and Loyola Marymount to advance to the school's second Final Four in 4 years. In the Final Four, they defeated Georgia Tech to advance to the championship game where they defeated Duke for the school's only national championship.
The 1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1990–91 season. The Runnin' Rebels, coached by Jerry Tarkanian, entered the season as defending national champions and entered the 1991 NCAA tournament unbeaten, but lost in the national semifinal to eventual champions Duke when Anderson Hunt's desperation three in the final seconds bounced off the backboard and into the hands of a Duke player, Bobby Hurley, ending a 45-game winning streak that dated back to the previous season. They had been the last team to finish the regular season unbeaten before St. Joseph's did it in 2004. They were the last team to enter the NCAA tournament unbeaten until Wichita State did it in 2014, Kentucky in 2015, and Gonzaga in 2021.
David Wayne Rice is an American college basketball coach and is the former head men's basketball coach at UNLV where he ranks as the program's third-winningest coach. He spent the 2016-2017 season as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada, Reno, and an assistant coach at the University of Washington for the past three seasons (2017–present).
The 2016–17 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Runnin' Rebels were led by first-year head coach Marvin Menzies. They played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada as members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 11–21, 4–14 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for tenth place. They lost in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament to San Diego State.
Freddie Banks is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player. Banks attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is a member of the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame. Banks was the first pick of the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.
The 1988–89 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a member of the Big West Conference during the 1988–89 college basketball season. Led by head coach Jerry Tarkanian, the team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center. The Runnin' Rebels won conference regular season and tournament titles, reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, and finished with an overall record of 29–8.
The 1976–77 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1976–77 season. The team was led by head coach Jerry Tarkanian and played its home games in the Las Vegas Convention Center. This season marked the school's first appearance in the Final Four. The Rebels finished with an overall record of 29–3 and were ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll.
The 1983–84 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1983–84 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference. The Rebels won the regular season conference title, but fell to Fresno State in the championship game of the PCAA Tournament. The team finished with a record of 29–6.
The 1982–83 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1982–83 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its final season of home games at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference. The Rebels won the first 24 games of the season and ascended to No. 1 in both major polls. UNLV captured the regular season conference title, then defeated Fresno State in the championship game of the PCAA Tournament. The team finished with a record of 28–3. As No. 3 seed in the West region, the Rebels were beaten in the second round of the NCAA tournament by eventual National champion NC State, 71–70.
The 1984–85 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1984–85 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference. The Rebels won the regular season conference and PCAA Tournament titles. The team finished with a record of 28–4.
The 1985–86 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1985–86 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference. The Rebels won the regular season conference and PCAA Tournament titles. The team finished with a record of 33–5 and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.
The 1987–88 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1985–86 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team played its home games in the Thomas & Mack Center, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), now known as the Big West Conference. The Rebels won the regular season conference and PCAA Tournament titles. The team finished with a record of 28–6 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
On March 30, 1991, during the national semifinal of the 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the Duke University Blue Devils played a college basketball game against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Runnin' Rebels at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Blue Devils, who were seeded 2nd in the Midwest regional bracket, faced the Runnin' Rebels, who were seeded 1st in the West.