The former UNLV basketball coach is retiring to Las Vegas, where he will watch son Kevin take over the Rebels program while trying to inspire a fan base.
Ed Graney
![Ed Graney](https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/web-ed-graney-hs-23.jpg?w=900&h=600&crop=1)
Ed Graney is a sports columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, covering a variety of topics and the Las Vegas sports scene.
egraney@reviewjournal.com … @edgraney on Twitter. 702-383-4618
It’s not just that the Knights defeated Colorado 3-2 in overtime Saturday. It’s how they won. Playing their way.
Kevin Kruger was among the first to enter the transfer portal when he transferred from Arizona State to UNLV in 2006, so he’s familiar with what has become a major pipeline for talent.
The hire by UNLV’s Desiree Reed-Francois is a gamble. When you hand the keys of a program to a coach who has never sat in the lead chair, unknowns outweigh certainties.
Kevin Kruger, who led the Rebels to an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 while playing for his father, was named the program’s new head coach on Sunday.
The Rebels are in search of another basketball coach and, like so many times before, Pitino is the most popular wish among scarlet and gray fans.
It’s the most fascinating manner in which to watch the NCAA Tournament, existing among hundreds of fans cheering scores more than teams. March Madness had returned to Las Vegas.
Free agency officially commenced Wednesday, where the Raiders added needed help on the defensive line.
How things might play out for a very different March Madness in Indiana will be drama worth watching.
T.J. Otzelberger’s reported move would have more to do with his two stints as an assistant coach in Ames and those relationships than anything that has transpired at UNLV.
The NCAA Tournament — all 67 games — will be contested in Indiana, with most matchups spread out across the state’s capital city of Indianapolis.
Things aren’t stable for Utah State, Colorado State and Boise State, who are not assured inclusion when the 68-team NCAA Tournament field is announced.
Turnover is coming for the UNLV basketball program, and it might not end with the players.
UNLV, which struggled to defend the 3-point line most of the season, held Air Force to 0 of 9 in the first half and 2 of 18 overall on 3s in Wednesday’s blowout.
It’s never totally the fault of one side. When you evaluate Brown’s unproductive time with the Raiders, there’s enough blame to assign both player and management.
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