Former UNLV coach Dave Rice hired at Washington
Former UNLV basketball coach Dave Rice is moving on again, this time even farther north to become an assistant at Washington.
He was on the bench at UNR this past season when the Wolf Pack won the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Rice now will go to work for first-year Washington coach Mike Hopkins.
“I have tremendous respect for Coach Hopkins,” Rice said in a text message. “He is a terrific basketball coach and makes a significant difference in the lives of his players both on and off the court. There is great tradition at Washington that our staff is excited to build upon. Our family looks forward to being part of the thriving UW campus community.”
Rice, who played on the UNLV teams that won the 1990 national championship and appeared in the 1991 semifinals, coached his alma mater from 2011 to 2016, going 98-54 and making two NCAA Tournaments. He was fired midway through the 2015-16 season.
“Dave is a proven winner,” Hopkins said in a statement. “He has extensive coaching experience, not only as an assistant but as a head coach as well, and will be a huge asset to our program. Everywhere he has been has seen unprecedented success, and he has also had a huge impact on the student-athletes he has worked with both on and off the court. He’s succeeded at a high level and has seen firsthand what it takes to put together a strong group that can make a run in the postseason. We’re thrilled to have him on staff and know that he will fit into the Husky family immediately.”
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
