Josh Pastner, who previously was the head coach for six seasons at Memphis and seven at Georgia Tech, is being hired for the same position at UNLV, per multiple media outlets. Pastner was a player on the 1997 Arizona National Championship team and an assistant with the Wildcats for five seasons under Lute Olson.
Pastner has a 276–187 career record as a head coach. After being fired by Georgia Tech (and replaced by Arizona legend Damon Stoudamire), Pastner has worked as a college basketball analyst primarily for ESPN in the last two years. Paster became the head coach at Memphis when he was 32 years old.
Memphis promoted Pastner from assistant coach after John Calipari left to become the head coach at Kentucky. Pastner led Memphis to the NIT in his first season and the NCAA Tournament in the four seasons that followed. Arizona and Sean Miller beat Memphis in Pastner's first NCAA Tournament game as a head coach in 2011.
What was once an elite program, UNLV has struggled to remain relevant. UNLV has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013. The last NCAA Tournament win for UNLV was in 2008. UNLV has lost five consecutive NCAA Tournament games. UNLV did post winning records in the past four seasons and reached the 2024 NIT quarterfinals.
Pastner was the ACC Coach of the Year in his first season at Georgia Tech in 2016-17 and the Yellow Jackets finished 21-16. In Pastner's third season at Memphis in 2010-11, the Tigers were 26-9 overall and 13-3, winning the regular season and Conference USA Tournament titles.
The best season for Pastner as a head coach was 2011-12 when he led Memphis to a 31-15 overall record, 16-0 in the Conference USA Tournament and the Tigers won a round in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Michigan State. Memphis won a game again in the 2013 NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by Virginia.
Pastner has a chance to succeed where he had his most success as a head coach with a mid-major program. In seven seasons at Memphis, Pastner was 167–73. UNLV is a Mid-Major in what has become a professional sports town. Arizona and UNLV last played in the second of a home-and-home in Las Vegas.