As UNLV looks for yet another basketball coach, it should be noted the school actually hasn’t done a terrible job identifying quality coaches over the past two decades, as stunning as that may sound to a dejected fan base that has largely either tuned out or turned on the once-mighty program.
If you find yourself laughing at the claim, go ahead and watch Sunday’s NCAA Tournament game when Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger takes on Chris Beard of Ole Miss and remember which Mountain West school plucked each of them out of low-major programs to take over as coach of the Rebels.
At least temporarily, in the infamous tale of Beard’s 19-day tenure.
Before that, there was the decision to give another shot to Lon Kruger, who had just flamed out in the NBA. That move paid off with UNLV’s only non-Jerry Tarkanian run to the Sweet 16.
Dave Rice, an in-house product, was better than given credit for at the time and was mainly guilty of the crime of raising expectations to irrational levels with impressive recruiting classes.
Someone like Wade
There have also been some coaches considered by the administration who either fell just short of being hired or elected to take a different job instead that could have had a great deal of success.
Mick Cronin. Brad Underwood. Rick Pitino. They’ve all been in the mix. So was a young VCU coach by the name of Will Wade for a brief moment in 2016, though that may have been more of a leverage play that got him a massive contract extension.
That’s exactly who UNLV needs right now. No, they’re not going to get Wade. He’s headed to N.C. State after leading McNeese State to its first NCAA Tournament victory.
But they need someone like him. Someone with his energy, his ability to sell the program. His ability to understand and articulate the transactional nature of the sport and effectively communicate that to boosters and young athletes.
Sure, coaching X’s and O’s with a fun style on both ends of the floor helps. But there’s so much more to the job that Wade brings.
There’s an honesty about him, which may sound silly to some who will point to the way he was dismissed so unceremoniously from LSU over a questionable recruiting situation.
But, yeah, he’s honest.
By all accounts, Wade spent the early part of this week working out a deal at N.C. State before turning his focus to preparation. It’s a tale as old as time, one that was even kind of seen with UNLV football coach Barry Odom as he flirted with Purdue leading up to the Mountain West title game against Boise State and took the job the next day.
Direct approach
Most coaches put their head in the sand and pretend the internet and social media don’t exist, that they can just deny rumors enough times to make the story go away.
That’s not what Wade did. He embraced the situation. He told his players his goal was to move on to a power conference job and they should want the same for themselves. He explained that taking the court against one of the ACC’s best in Clemson, gave them a chance to show they belonged with the big boys and could earn them lucrative name, image and likeness deals and big opportunities, maybe even with Wade at N.C. State.
“We’re all direct, and if you’re like that, there’s very little confusion,” Wade said of what he told his team. “All of the narratives and the talk of distractions, it’s just talking points. I could have gone in there and lied to everybody. I told them the truth. We have transparency that most people don’t have.”
His team responded. Wade gets it.
So much of the college basketball coaching world used to operate in the shadows. Much of the old guard still operates as if it has to be that way, lamenting the money and freedom the athletes have so rightfully been afforded.
Wade gets it. It’s why he’s going to continue to be successful as a basketball coach.
UNLV, which should be able to gather and distribute resources in significant numbers to keep up in this era, should keep that in mind as it looks for a new leader for a new day.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
