UNLV Runnin' Rebels Head Coach Josh Pastner: "If We Lost, I Wouldn’t Go Out To Eat For Days"

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team will be playing their first game under Josh Pastner on Tuesday against the UT-Martin Skyhawks. With the tip-off of the season imminent, Pastner has been speaking a lot to different outlets. Recently, the Las Vegas Review-Journal did a piece on him, in which he spoke about a lot of different things. Some regarding basketball and others regarding his personal life. He had a lot of interesting things to say, which gave intriguing insight to both the man and the basketball coach.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels Men's Head Basketball Coach Josh Pastner On The Best Ticket In Las Vegas

“By the way, let me tell you about the best ticket in town,” Pastner said. “I think it’s a heck of a deal.”

Pastner On His Expectations For This Year's Team

“First of all, I hope to win a bunch. The team is really good if we’re fully healthy, and we might not hit our stride until we get to Mountain West play. To me, our North Star should be trying to win that. It’s hard to win a regular-season conference championship, which I’ve done.”

Pastner Joked About How He Expected His Basketball Career To Go

“I thought I was going to be the next Steve Kerr. I was a good shooter. I could move without the basketball.”

Pastner On Being The Victim Of A Scheme And Facing Accusations From A Couple Who Has Since Been Jailed

“All I did was just try to be a good human being. That was an awful time period. So, yes, I’m an open book, and I’m very transparent, but I’m also very guarded. I learned a lot through that time. I just got hit by two criminals.”

Pastner On How He Struggled With Losing In The Past

“If we lost, I wouldn’t go out to eat for days. I would be at home, sitting in the same chair. I would just beat myself up...

I was going down a bad path, heartwise. Just the stress. It was eating at me,” he said. “When I went and saw (a cardiologist), it wasn’t good.”

Pastner On How He's Matured Since His Days At Memphis And Georgia Tech

“It was really intense. And I think there’s a lot of the same parallels here to UNLV as in terms of the intensity of the job, which I love. I’m more seasoned and older now. I’m a better coach with more clarity in this time period than ever before. And I’m happy about that.”

Pastner On Not Wanting To Be Viewed As a Salesman

“Where I’m coming from is authentic. I’m speaking from the heart. I’m not trying to sell. I’m trying to have people understand the vision of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Pastner On Wanting To Fill The Stands At UNLV

“The Mountain West is flooded with great home-court advantages. We need to get that back. Yes, I get it. We need to win and people will come. But also, on the other hand, I need you in the stadium as well to help us win.”

More UNLV Rebels On SI News