UNLV Hires Ex-Memphis, Georgia Tech Coach Josh Pastner

The Rebels are starting fresh amid a 12-year NCAA men's tournament drought.

Josh Pastner gives instructions during the 2023 ACC tournament while with Georgia Tech. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In an attempt to resuscitate its men's basketball program, UNLV is reportedly turning to the world of television.

The Rebels are hiring college basketball analyst Josh Pastner as their next head coach, according to a Monday evening report from Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. Pastner, 47, has been on television providing commentary for multiple networks for the past two seasons.

Before his multimedia career, Pastner—a national champion guard at Arizona—was an intermittently successful coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech. He took the Tigers to four NCAA men's tournaments from 2011 to '14, and the Yellow Jackets to an ACC tournament title in 2021.

BREAKING: UNLV is expected to hire former Memphis and Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner, source told the Field of 68.

Pastner, 47, has an overall record of 276-187. He went to the NCAA tourney four times in seven seasons at Memphis, and once at Georgia Tech in 2021.…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 25, 2025

Pastner inherits a stagnant UNLV program that posted an 18-15 record this season—its worst since 2021. The Rebels fired coach Kevin Kruger on March 15.

As recently as 2007 to '13, UNLV—once the state of Nevada's flagship sports team—had been a top-eight seed in six of seven NCAA tournaments.

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