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UNLV names Marvin Menzies as head coach

Lets hope this one sticks around for more than a week.

By Jeremy Mauss
Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV was forced to move quickly in finding a new head coach after Chris Beard abruptly left his post as the new Rebels coach to take the same position at Texas Tech, a place he spent a decade as an assistant coach.

Names came out from the search that included George Karl, Ryan Miller and Heath Schroyer. The Rebels went back to their other finalist and named New Mexico State's Marvin Menzies their head coach.

"We are looking forward to bringing Marvin Menzies back to UNLV as our men's basketball head coach," UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement. "He has spent almost a decade as a Division I head coach, has won regular-season and conference tournament championships and has led his team to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. He has connections to our university and our community, and respects the tradition of Runnin' Rebel basketball."

While the school announced the hiring, it can not become official until the Board of Regents approve the hire, and we know that was not the most simple task last time.

Menzies was a finalist before the Rebels went with Beard as their head coach. With Beard leaving UNLV gets $1 million from Texas Tech as part of the buyout and there is no buyout that the Rebels have to pay New Mexico State. However, UNLV still owes Arkansas Little-Rock $200,000 over the next two years for hiring Beard.

Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that Menzies contract will be very similar to Beard, which starts at $900,000 and is a five-year deal with an increase each year in base pay for a total of $5.7 million over the duration of the contract.

Menzies has coached the Aggies for nine seasons with a good record of 198-111, four straight WAC tournament titles and led New Mexico State has made a fifth championship game this year but cane up short in the title game and missed out on the NCAA Tournament..

He has never finished lower than third in the WAC regular season and either won or shared the conference regular season title three times. He also guided New Mexico State to five NCAA tournament appearances.

Menzies does have ties to UNLV as he coached under former head coach Lon Kruger in the 2004-05 season, and he has familiarity with the Mountain West having coached under Steve Fisher at San Diego State between 1999-2003.

"Marvin is an experienced head coach with UNLV and west coast roots who knows what it takes to build and maintain a winning college basketball program," university president Len Jessup said in a statement. "He is a dynamic recruiter and proven leader who understands the proud tradition of UNLV basketball, and we look forward to welcoming him back to campus."

With the Nevada state Board of Regents needing to approve the deal, Menzies can not publicly discuss the job and the hope per Anderson is to have the contract approved by Friday and not the 11 days it took to approve Beard's contract.

Menzies will have his hands full as the Rebel roster has been decimated by transfers, graduation and players declaring for the NBA Draft.

He might be able to save a few who did not hire an agent, but this job is more than likely going to take a pretty big rebuild over the next few seasons.

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Marvin Menzies is UNLV's new head coach

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