CMU alumnus named UNLV men's basketball interim head coach
Central Michigan alumnus Todd Simon was named the University of Nevada Las Vega men’s basketball interim head coach Sunday, after Head Coach Dave Rice and the program mutually decided to make a coaching change.
Simon, 35, who graduated in 2003 with a double-major in sport studies and management information systems, will remain interim head coach until the end of the season, when UNLV’s athletics administration will “conduct a thorough review of the program,” Director of Athletics Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a press release Sunday.
The Runnin’ Rebels have lost five of their last six games after starting the season 8-2.
Simon will have to improve the Runnin’ Rebels’ 9-7 record and 0-3 start in Mountain West Conference play if he wants a chance at sticking around in Las Vegas. He has been an assistant coach at UNLV since 2013.
"We have student-athletes who I know will work through this period of adversity and help turn things around under the staff's leadership," Kunzer-Murphy said in the press release. "We still have 15 games and the conference tournament on our schedule — there is a lot left to play for this season — and I expect Todd and the staff to work tirelessly to get our season back on track. Once the season concludes, we will conduct a thorough review of the program and determine how best to move forward with the head coach position."
Simon, a Fowler native, was part of the Honors Program at CMU and graduated with a 3.9 GPA.
He earned his master’s from UNLV in 2010 and spent one year as head coach of national high school powerhouse Findlay Prep. in Nevada before joining UNLV's staff three years ago.
