Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUNLV Basketball:
UNLV’s Dave Rice is in the midst of one of the best coaching debuts in recent history
Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
UNLV head coach Dave Rice calls for a new player against Colorado State during their Mountain West Conference game Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won the game 82-63.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 | 5:36 p.m.
Coaching debuts aren’t supposed to be this good.
A basketball coach’s first season at a new program is traditionally filled with stumbling blocks, small improvements and moral victories, not top-15 rankings, marquee wins and Final Four dreams.
Yet, that’s exactly what first-year UNLV coach Dave Rice has delivered to his alma mater.
“As a staff, we knew we were going to have a very good team,” Rice said. “We took over a program that was in good shape and our guys have bought in and for the most part done a terrific job.”
Rice isn’t the only exception to the rule this season. Fellow first-time head coach Steve Prohm is undefeated at Murray State, and first-year Missouri coach Frank Haith has the Tigers in the top five.
Here’s a look at Rice’s prodigious debut and how it compares to some contemporaries' first seasons in Division I, as well as those of a couple of legends:
-
Dave Rice — UNLV
First-year record (through 2/7/12): 21-4, 5-2 in the Mountain West
Career record: 21-4
Rice served as an assistant for 18 years, including 11 at UNLV, before getting his first shot as a head coach.
In just his seventh career game, Rice’s Rebels upset then-No. 1 North Carolina, putting UNLV back on the map and helping it climb as high as No. 11 in the polls. The Rebels are currently ranked No. 14 and sit one game behind No. 13 San Diego State in the conference standings.
“It’s amazing that I’ve actually been on the job for 10 months now,” Rice said this week. “It seems like just yesterday we were having a press conference. It’s been a whirlwind but it’s been terrific. It’s exciting to be back at my alma mater, exciting to be in a very competitive conference race with a group that’s working extremely hard.
“There’s no doubt we’ve gotten knocked down a few times, like we did at Wyoming, but our guys have always bounced back.”
-
Steve Prohm — Murray State
First-year record (through 2/7/12): 23-0, 11-0 in the OVC
Career record: 23-0
Prohm is raising the standard for first-year head coaches.
The ninth-ranked Racers are the lone undefeated team left in Division I men’s basketball, thanks in part to former Mojave High standout Donte Poole.
Prohm spent 13 seasons as an assistant, including the last five at Murray State, before taking over for Billy Kennedy, who left for Texas A&M. This start is among the top four for a first-year head coach in Division I history, and it could still get better.
Prohm, a Georgia native, reflected on his season with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in mid-January.
“I’d have never dreamed this scenario,” he said, then corrected himself. “I dreamed it all the time, but you would have never ever believed it could come true.”
-
Jerry Tarkanian — Long Beach State
First-year record (1968-69): 23-3
Career record: 784-202 (Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State)
Tarkanian stormed into Division I college basketball with a 23-3 record. In five seasons at Long Beach State, he went to four NCAA Tournaments and compiled a 122-20 overall record that included an undefeated mark at home.
He jumped to UNLV in 1973 and spent 19 seasons here, compiling a 509-105 overall record that included four Final Fours and a national championship. UNLV coach Dave Rice was a reserve on the title team.
Tarkanian finished his career with a seven-year run at Fresno State. He started there in 1995-96 with a 22-11 record.
-
Mike Krzyzewski — Army
First-year record (1975-76): 11-14
Career record: 919-287 (Army and Duke)
Krzyzewski’s debut didn’t give any indication that he would become the all-time Division I leader in victories.
After one season as an assistant at Indiana, Krzyzewski took over his alma mater in 1975 and finished three games under .500. He got better in the ensuing seasons, but finished with a 9-17 season before jumping to Duke in 1979.
Once there, Krzyzewski became the ultimate example of what a coach can accomplish if you give him team, and that first impressions don’t always come true.
-
Steve Fisher — Michigan
First-year record (1989): 6-0*
Career record: 437-236 (Michigan and San Diego State)
It comes with an (*), but debuts don’t get any better than Fisher’s.
Michigan coach Bill Frieder announced during the final week of the 1988-89 regular season that he would be leaving for Arizona State. Instead of letting Frieder coach through the NCAA Tournament, Michigan Athletic Director Bo Schembechler fired him and appointed Fisher, a Michigan assistant for seven years, to take over immediately.
Behind Glen Rice’s record 30.7 scoring average, Fisher won all six games, including an 80-79 overtime victory against Seton Hall for the national championship.
In his first full season at the helm, Fisher went 23-8 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten. He spent eight full seasons at Michigan before jumping to be an assistant with the Sacramento Kings.
In 1999 Fisher returned to college and took over San Diego State, where he started out 5-23 and 0-14 in the Mountain West.
-
Dave Rose — BYU
First-year record (2005-06): 20-9, 12-4 in the Mountain West
Career record: 179-51
When Steve Cleveland left for Fresno State, Rose slid one chair down and ensured that BYU’s 9-21 record in 2004-05 wouldn’t become commonplace.
Rose started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant (1987-90) and then head coach (90-97) at Division II Dixie State, where he played before transferring to Houston. He then spent three years as an assistant at BYU and five as associate head coach before taking over in 2005.
With assistant coach Dave Rice on his bench, Rose led the Cougars to a 20-9 record, including a home victory against UNLV, and an appearance in the NIT. BYU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in every season since then.
-
Keno Davis — Drake
First-year record (2007-08): 28-5, 15-3 in the MVC
Career record: 77-55 (Drake and Providence)
Davis started as an assistant under his father, Dr. Tom Davis, at Iowa in 1991 and bounced around to a couple of other schools before working under his dad again at Drake from 2003-07.
When the elder Davis retired, Keno took over and earned Associated Press Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bulldogs to a 28-5 overall record. Drake earned a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament but got picked off 101-99 in the first round on an overtime buzzer-beater by Western Kentucky.
Davis moved on after one season but couldn’t replicate the success at Providence, getting fired after three seasons.
-
Randy Rahe — Weber State
First-year record (2006-07): 20-12, 11-5 in the Big Sky
Career record: 113-65
Rahe took over a roster with only three returning players and led the Wildcats to just their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight seasons. He had been an assistant at five Division I programs before getting his first head-coaching job, and those travels included a connection to UNLV coach Dave Rice.
In 2004, Rahe left Utah State after six years for rival Utah, his last stop before getting the Weber State job. To replace him, the Aggies hired Rice, who stayed for one season before joining Dave Rose for his first season as the head coach at BYU.
Discussion: 10 comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.
Post a comment
Never can get enough UNLV analysis and chatter? Then this is the stop for you. Join the Sun sports staff in The Rebel Room for your fix.
Breaking down UNLV football's spring practice
Follow the Rebels
Widgets
Jerry Tarkanian: Kentucky the class of the NCAA Tournament
Email Newsletters
To view/update your newsletter subscriptions and interests, please visit our Preference Center.
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
I didnt realize so many coaches looked like Dave Rice!!
Well they do, 1rebelfan. It's a very common look.
Sorry guys. There was a bit of a mix-up with the photos. The pictures of Dave Rice have now been replaced with accurate pictures of Randy Rahe, Keno Davis and Steve Prohm. Thanks.
Rice walked into a program already on the rise, and lost only one verbal commit when Kruger left (who is still considering UNLV anyway). Not to take anything away from Rice, he's doing a great job and I think we're only going to get better under him, but much of this has to do with what Lon left him behind.
Hey captain obvious, Do you recall the scores of any of the games with Kruger at the helm?
Hey Jerry, I think we all realize that Rice's offense > Kruger's scheme, but Kruger's defense was better than Rice's. I was merely referring to the decent talent and well versed defense he walked into. Clearly his added offense has made the Rebels better.
I don't really know that I would say that the program was "on the rise," but it was definitely in much better shape than the type of programs most first-year head coaches get a shot to take over. My personal opinion is that the program had "plateaued" somewhat under Kruger. I think what Matt was stating is that the cupboards weren't exactly bare when Coach Rice walked in the door.
That being said, Rice is doing an outstanding job in his first year as a head coach. The years he spent as an assistant have definitely helped him, as well as his willingness to put money and ego aside to assemble a top-notch staff.
Judging by the caliber of players not just considering, but committing to UNLV since Rice has taken over, I think it is safe to say that things are definitely looking up. As good as things have been this year, this is just the beginning.
Keep in mind, the Mendenhall Center certainly made a huge difference for recruiting, and that was all thanks to Lon's efforts.
No one is saying Kruger didn't leave a great start and base for Rice. Of course he did. However, you can't take away that Rice had never been a head coach before, and that the team was not his players he recruited (for his style) but glad they all stayed. You also can't turn a blind eye to the MWC being as strong as it is the past few years. Murray St. has little competition in the OVC, and Kennedy going to A&M, you see when he gets put into a better conference, he has struggled quite a bit even with very good players. Drake and Weber State same story.
it's funny, i feel like every time kruger's name is brought up, it starts "kruger was a good guy and we owe him a lot for getting our program going in the right direction again, BUT...." yes, yes, we all acknowledge what kruger did for UNLV, and how rice has benefited from what kruger left him.
simply put, however....does anyone think we're 21-4 at this stage of the season and ranked 14th if kruger stays? because i don't. rice has been the man. and that's coming from someone who argued vehemently for theus.