Much of the Rebels' most recent success came under Lon Kruger, who was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. He went 161-71 while coaching UNLV from 2004-11, taking the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament four times in his final five years.

In a statement, UNLV athletic director Erick Harper thanked Kruger for his "commitment, and dedication" to the program, while lamenting the program's failure to meet expectations

UNLV fired Kevin Kruger this afternoon, bringing an end to his four-year tenure as head basketball coach and, likely, the Kruger family’s decades-long relationship with UNLV basketball.