UNLV Lady Rebels Head Coach Lindy La Rocque: "I Don't Think We're Too Far Off"

The UNLV Lady Rebels women's basketball team just tipped off the start of their Mountain West Conference schedule. UNLV also recently signed head coach Lindy La Rocque to a new extension after her successful run with the program. After signing her extension, she spoke with WG Martinez of The Sporting Tribune about her time with the team, her new extension, and the direction of the program.

UNLV Lady Rebels Head Coach Lindy La Rocque On Her First Five Years With The Program

"I think we're right there," La Rocque said. "You know, I don't know if I totally put together a five-year plan when I got the job. But I think this is pretty close. Maybe even achieved some things even earlier than I thought we could. NCAA Tournament in basically year two is pretty special. To do it that quickly, but then to sustain that success, I think that's hard, and it takes a lot of hard work. I'm just a believer in climbing the ladder and not just jumping from the bottom to the top, because then that's how you fall down. But if you climb it the right way, then I think it's a little bit more sustainable. And I feel like we've done that. Now we're at the next level, and we're at the next step where we want to continue to feel like we've done a great job, but we've got more things to do, and more steps to climb."

La Rocque On Her New Extension

"Obviously, I'm really grateful for this opportunity, for the investment in our program from the university and administration and myself. There's a lot of things here that are hard to put a price tag on for me. For a young family and my parents in my hometown, so a new contract is great. And frankly, that's what I need to continue to provide for my family: that job security, that investment. And if anything, I want to show to the public, to our fan base, to everyone, to our recruits, to invest too. Stay here, be here, come here, because that's what I plan on doing."

La Rocque On How Far UNLV Is From Being An Elite Option For Top Recruits

"I don't think we're too far off. I do think there's a few more steps to take, and then it'll take a special young person to really make that leap of faith and do that with us. But we're getting closer and closer. This signing class that we're about to sign, we've got three top 100 kids. We're not some program that's in the weeds that no one knows about. So we can feel that in our recruiting, just kind of the respect that we're garnering across the country, which we're proud of, and we've worked really hard for. But to really tap into that next level of recruits, we're right there knocking on the door."

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