UNLV Runnin' Rebels Head Basketball Coach Josh Pastner Says He's "Trying To Be As Hands On As I Can Be"

Since new UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball coach Josh Pastner took over leadership of the team, he has raved about both the city of Las Vegas and the rich history of the Rebels basketball program. He has often spoken about interacting with people and building community. Earlier in the offseason, he touched on all of these topics with the usual enthusiasm we've quickly become accustomed to.

UNLV Rebels Runnin' Rebels Head Coach Josh Pastner On Getting Fans Back To The Games

“Everywhere, I’ve gone, I’ve given out my business card — people I meet on the planes, people I see at the gym, ‘Hey, buy UNLV tickets. We need you to buy tickets,’” Pastner said. “I’m trying to be as hands on as I can be to get people back in the Thomas & Mack.”

Pastner On The Rebels' Teams Of The 80s And 90s

“It was a spectacle. It was showtime, like with the Lakers. Part of the reason the city is what it is today is because of that ‘80s and ‘90s run.

Coach Olson and coach Tarkanian, they had the two juggernauts on the West Coast for so long. What coach Olson did for the city of Tucson and the University of Arizona is what coach Tarkanian and his staff and players did to UNLV and the city of Las Vegas.”

Pastner On Las Vegas Potentially Getting An NBA Team

“I do believe they’ll get an NBA team. I think it’s an awesome thing. Yes, there’s more things to do, but Las Vegas is becoming the epicenter of not just the entertainment world, but also the sports world.”

Pastner On How The College Landscape Has Changed

“When I took over Memphis and Georgia Tech, you already kind of had your team. It wasn’t (about) the portal at those times. You really didn’t go fundraise. You had to go out and see the different high school coaches, AAU coaches.

I had to get a whole new team (at UNLV). I didn’t go around seeing high school guys and high school coaches. I had to go around my first couple weeks on the job and raise money. In the past, you kind of had a fundraising area within the athletic department. Now, the head coach probably is more of a fundraiser than actually a coach, but that’s the reality of where the world is right now in college athletics.

I think it’s really hard to like this new model if you don’t like dealing with people. There’s a lot of things I’m not good at, but one of them I’m good at is dealing with people. I like human beings.”

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