UNLV’s Rice to fill in for Rahe
Stew Morrill has found his replacement for long-time assistant coach Randy Rahe, according to reports.
Former UNLV assistant Dave Rice accepted the job Wednesday according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a week after new UNLV coach Lon Kruger announced he would not retain any of the Rebel’s staff.
Rice fills the position Rahe vacated last week in favor of an assistant spot under new Utah Head Coach Ray Giacoletti.
A player on the Rebel’s 1990 national championship team, Rice, 35, had served as an assistant under four coaches (Jerry Tarkanian, Tim Grgurich, Bill Bayno and Charlie Spoonhour) at UNLV during the past 11 years.
“One of the things Coach Morrill told me was he was impressed with the quality of the people I’d worked for, starting with Coach Tark,” Rice told the Review-Journal. “He said that even though [the Aggies] have been highly successful, he’s open to new ideas, and he wants me to come in and help bring some of those ideas into the program. To me, that’s very exciting.”
Rice told the Review-Journal he is looking forward to the new challenge he faces in Logan, but said it is tough leaving his alma mater.
“UNLV has been such a big part of my life,” Rice said. “I’ll always be a Rebel, but I’m excited about this.”
As of Thursday, Utah State officials had no comment on Rice’s hiring.
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