Report: George Karl pushing to land head coaching job at UNLV

By Brett Pollakoff
Published

The head coaching job at UNLV is suddenly vacant again, after Chris Beard bolted for Texas Tech just one week after initially accepting the position. But the team may already have a replacement in mind.

George Karl, who was recently fired as head coach of the Sacramento Kings, is making a push to land the UNLV gig, according to a report from Dan Woiken of USA Today Sports. 

A person with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the coaching search, said Karl has already had initial dialogue with school officials about the job. UNLV initiated that contact Thursday night when it became apparent Chris Beard might leave for Texas Tech. Beard informed UNLV he was leaving for Texas Tech on Friday, according to a statement by UNLV athletics director Tina Kunzer-Murphy.

Karl’s name has come up with college jobs before, particularly whenever his alma mater North Carolina has been open. Karl also strongly considered taking the UNLV job in 2004 after being fired by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Karl, 64, is fifth on the NBA's all-time list for victories as a head coach. He's still owed more than $7 million on his contract with the Kings, so finances are unlikely to be a motivating factor in his decision to pursue the job in Vegas.