New UNLV coach Chris Beard attempts to keep players on roster

New UNLV basketball coach Chris Beard spent Tuesday in meetings with his players.

The recruiting process on his own roster has begun.

Beard takes over a Rebels team that could break apart and, in fact, already has begun to splinter. Stephen Zimmerman Jr. has turned pro, and Dwayne Morgan has made it known he will ask for his release. Jordan Cornish removed UNLV from his Twitter bio, though he hasn’t announced that he will leave.

As for recruits who have committed, Findlay Prep’s Carlos Johnson has said he will stick with the Rebels no matter who is the coach, and indications on his Twitter account are he won’t waver. The futures of Jaylen Fisher and Justin Jackson are less certain, though both continue to list themselves as committed to UNLV.

We still strong #UNLVmbb

— NoGoodLoso❗️ (@WITNESS_THIS3) March 17, 2016

The futures of assistant coaches Stacey Augmon and Ryan Miller also are uncertain. It’s unlikely Beard will keep both, and he might bring in an entirely new staff.

Beard’s contract, believed to be for five years and in the range of $900,000 to $1 million annually, is expected to be submitted to the University of Nevada Board of Regents today. The regents then will schedule a meeting for next week to vote on the deal.

UNLV hired Beard, 43, from Arkansas-Little Rock, where he went 30-5 in his one season, won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Beard was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year after elevating a program that won 13 games the prior season.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65