‘Vegas is home’: Lady Rebels coach signs extension to stay at UNLV
It appears Lindy La Rocque will be UNLV’s women’s basketball coach for some time.
La Rocque signed a five-year contract extension with the Lady Rebels that takes her through the 2029-30 season, the program announced Tuesday.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Coach La Rocque leading our women’s basketball program,” UNLV athletic director Erick Harper said in a statement. “In just five seasons, she has transformed the Lady Rebels into a proven winner. … Extending her contract through 2029-30 reinforces our commitment to sustained excellence, continued student-athlete development, and the vibrant Las Vegas community that supports our women’s basketball program.”
La Rocque, a three-time Mountain West coach of the year, has led UNLV to four consecutive regular-season conference championships, three league tournament titles and four postseason appearances.
The 35-year-old is 128-30 in five seasons with the Lady Rebels. Her .810 winning percentage ranks fourth among all active Division I women’s coaches who have led a program for at least five years.
“Of course, this is my livelihood, so I want the most security for my family and all of that,” La Rocque said. “But more than anything, this was timely in where we are in recruiting and establishing the next level as we continue to climb this program where we’ve talked about — a national level. Part of that is committing to it. That’s the university committing to me and the resources it’s going to take. Everyone stepped up in that regard. I think that’s important.
“I think there is a new wave of challenges, from revenue sharing to all the craziness of the landscape, for a lack of a better word. For us, it’s about who we’re recruiting and how we’re recruiting and the types of players and people we’re bringing into this program. That has changed over the course of five years and the next five years we want it to continue growing even more.”
La Rocque, a Las Vegas native, finished her prep career at Durango High as the school’s all-time scoring leader (boys and girls) with 2,678 points. She was a four-time all-state selection.
La Rocque then helped lead Stanford to four consecutive Final Fours.
She started 43 of 138 career games with the Cardinal.
“Vegas is home and we love it here, for my immediate family and for my parents and extended family and friends along this journey,” La Rocque said. “I got more texts today than when we won championships. Hopefully, everyone feels a part of this and we can continue to invest in the program. That’s what I’m doing — I’ve invested in the program.
“Vegas is home and I can talk about that and all those things, but sometimes it’s about the facts. The contract is the facts and it’s not just for me personally wanting to be here. I’m asking people to continue on this journey with me.”
The Lady Rebels open the 2025-26 season against Washington State on Nov. 5 at Cox Pavilion.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
