UNLV Runnin' Rebels Head Coach Josh Pastner Addresses Key Topics

UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Josh Pastner speaks about a number of important topics.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Josh Pastner watches the action against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball head coach, Josh Pastner, has been doing a great job in his first year as the head of the program. His goal when taking over the program was to return them to their glory days that he remembers from growing up. After taking the job, he spoke with Bruce Pascoe of Tucson.com about a number of topics regarding his new job in Las Vegas.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels Men's Basketball Head Coach Josh Pastner On Being Hands-On At UNLV

“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 In Their Heyday

“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 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 NIL Issues

“It’s still in the early process. The question becomes if somebody gets denied on one of those (NIL deals), do they sue? I’m not a legal expert on that. I don’t know. But could that hold up in a court of law, (with somebody) saying you can’t deny me, if somebody’s born in the United States of America?”

Pastner On The New Pac-12 And Realignment

“It’s weird to even to say there’s a new Pac coming around. I look at the Pac-10 as when there was Arizona, UCLA, USC, up and down the coast. What’s interesting is (conference) records — like how does that work? It’s just not the same, but that’s because I was there for so long. That all being said, college sports is evolving and ever changing, literally, in real time. So who knows? Could Arizona be back in the Pac at one time, or could UNLV go to the Big 12? Could Arizona be in the ACC? Stanford and Cal’s in the ACC. I mean ...”

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