Kevin Kruger Fired By UNLV After Four Seasons

UNLV fired men's basketball coach Kevin Kruger after his fourth season with the team. The Runnin' Rebels finished with a 18-15 record in 2024/25 and were sixth in the Mountain West Conference. Kruger had two years remaining on his contract.
Kruger finished with a 75-55 record during his run as head coach at UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels haven't made the NCAA March Madness tournament since 2013 and will now be searching for their sixth head coach since 2011.
UNLV Director of Athletics, Erick Harper, released the following statement regarding Kruger and the men's basketball team.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Coach Kruger for his hard work, commitment, and dedication over the past four years as head coach of the Runnin’ Rebels. While there have been notable achievements during his tenure, there have also been challenges. We have significant aspirations for our men’s basketball program, both within the Mountain West and on a national level, with the goal of competing in the NCAA Tournament. Our expectation is to contend for and win championships. After evaluating the program as a whole, I believe a change is necessary to achieve these goals.”
- Erick Harper
UNLV Men's Basketball Posts about Kevin Kruger's firing and a "Change in Leadership"
Change In Leadership Announced https://t.co/Yxu0ffW6Rl pic.twitter.com/8MqG5XYD5s
— UNLV Men's Basketball (@TheRunninRebels) March 15, 2025
The news of Kruger's firing comes on the heels of the UNLV athletics department walking back a statement made earlier in the week about the inability to pay head football coach, Dan Mullens, full contract.
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