On Sunday the UNLV athletics department announced the are hiring Dave Rice to replace Lon Kruger as head coach of their basketball team. CBSSports.com columnist Gary Parrish first announced it as breaking news and the Las Vegas Sun later confirmed it.
Dave Rice was on the 1990 and 1991 UNLV Final Four teams and won the championship with them. He was an assistant at BYU for six years and was the architect of offense and our leading recruiter. He has recruiting trails in California and Nevada, his brother is the head coach of Bishop Gorman prep school in Las Vegas.
Dave Rose is very supportive of Rice leaving and said this on the subject:
"Dave is an outstanding teacher of the game and has always been part of successful programs both as a player and a coach," BYU coach Dave Rose once said of Rice. "Dave possesses a complete knowledge of the game and has done a terrific job coordinating our game plans and recruiting efforts. He is also a tireless worker and a great person."
Rice was one of the four finalists for the UNLV job along with Reggie Theus, Mike Dunlap, and Ernie Kent. Theus also went to UNLV; although the two favorites were Rice and Theus. Theus also went to UNLV but in the '70's. He is currently an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dunlap is an assistant for St. Johns and Kent was the former Oregon head coach.