New UNLV coach wants players ‘who love to compete’
New UNLV basketball coach Kevin Kruger sat down with the Sun to talk about his first week on the job, his plan for the future of the program, and what role his father might have in the team’s rebuild.
What have your first days on the job been like?
It’s busy, but a good busy. Trying to make sure you’re reaching out to everybody that helped you, that is a part of the program. You want to make sure to thank and connect with them. The first priority being the players, of course. Making sure they’re comfortable, they understand, they know that they are priority number one for us and always will be. And connecting with the alumni has been a priority of ours. Continuing to do a lot of the things we feel we did right the last couple years and build on the foundation and the relationships and really hammer home that we’re here for the guys. Let’s get in the gym. There may have been a change in the head coach but that doesn’t change their goals and priorities. They’re trying to get better every day. So as much as possible we try to talk to them, get in the gym with them and try to get better.
What’s the biggest difference between being an assistant and being a head coach?
Probably just the numbers and the reach of people to communicate with. That’s something I’ve known, but experiencing it is a little different. As an assistant, sitting down there you have your responsibilities within the program and you can really hammer away at those. Coming down here again, involving the alumni, (the scope) is a little different now. I always tried to do that in the spot I was in as an assistant but now, being here with a little different responsibilities, it carries a little more weight.
We’ve already seen several players enter the transfer portal. What were those conversations like?
They’ve been good. A number of guys have gone in the portal but there haven’t been any where we haven’t been able to sit down and have honest conversations with each other. And we want what’s best for them. If they feel that the portal is best for them while we continue to develop our relationship with me in this position, then that’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. We want what’s best for them. If they feel they can go in the portal while we continue to strengthen our relationship and we can share our vision going forward and make sure they align, and they can take calls from other schools, kind of a re-recruitment scenario, we’re OK with that. That doesn’t bother us one bit. At the end of the day it’s what’s best for them and they can make the decision of what is best for them.
UNLV fans have seen this kind of roster turnover in recent years, including both offseasons under T.J. Otzelberger. Is this part of the plan?
Yeah, because to an extent we’ve got to re-recruit them. While I was able to develop a relationship with them as an assistant, going forward it will be a little different. Going from that position to a decision-maker, it’s something that’s natural. They want to make sure and their families want to make sure that our visions align, because while I did support T.J.’S vision and I was here to help him, there are going to be some things I do differently just naturally because I can’t make all the same decisions T.J. did.
What does a Kevin Kruger player look like?
Just somebody who loves to play, loves to compete, wears the jersey with pride, enjoys making plays for a teammate and getting the crowd going and making hustle plays. Ultimately, the little things you can do throughout a game that come naturally to that player that end up helping the team win the game. That’s what we’re going to really emphasize going forward in terms of recruiting, those guys that love to compete and do what it takes to help the team win.
Have you started recruiting players from other schools who are in the portal?
Yeah, gauging interest and reaching out to people you know. We do have some players in the portal, so like they want to search for something that works for them potentially, we’ve got to be prepared on our end as well. At the end of the day we just want everybody to be happy.
Have you spoken to 2021 signees Arthur Kaluma and Keshon Gilbert since taking over as head coach?
Of course. That was a priority. We absolutely wanted to reach out and talk to them because we were all a part of that recruiting process. They’re absolutely a priority for us, to strengthen that relationship and show them that vision and that plan that we have going forward, starting from now.
Do you expect them to end up on campus?
Absolutely. They signed their letters of intent to come here and we absolutely want them to be here. But we do understand there is an element of re-recruiting, because it is a different head coach. I think it would be foolish to think there aren’t thoughts that they might (de-commit). So that’s on us. We’ve got to show them that we’ve still got a plan, still got a vision and still want them to be Rebels.
We’ve seen other teams in the Mountain West become good in a short amount of time. Can UNLV be a quick turnaround?
I sure hope so, because I want to be around as long as I can. (Laughter.) I think going forward we’ve got to continue to build on some of the foundation we’ve built and get guys in here who want to compete and love to play. I really think if we can do it daily and step by step, we can build a team that’s not just built for success soon, but we can sustain it.
Are any of the assistants being retained or are you going to hire a new staff?
It’s similar to the players. We’re just going to continue to talk. Everybody we’ve met with so far, we’ve had talks and been honest and laid the cards on table. Everybody needs to be happy and everybody has to have a feeling of enjoyment and excitement to get in here every day and get this thing going. If people want to go elsewhere and look for different things, we’ll do our best to give our pitch, but at the end of the day what makes them happy is what’s best for everybody.
Your father, Lon Kruger, just announced his retirement. Did you know that was in the works?
As well as being a mentor, he’s been my best friend for a long time. He doesn’t ever say anything specifically, but he might say something that makes me think, ‘Oh, maybe this is it.’ And then something will happen that makes me think, ‘Maybe he’s got a couple more (years).’ So while nothing was ever specific like, ‘On March 25th I’m going to hang it up that day,’ we talk. We bounce ideas off each other. I didn’t really know, but at the same time I had an idea. And when he finally told us he was going to (retire) I was just really happy for him. It’s all I’ve known to see him as a coach, and now to see him as a retired basketball coach here in Vegas is something to be really excited about.
What have you learned from him as a coach that you want to emulate?
Just the honesty and transparency he deals with. With him, if there’s any doubt or hesitancy in his opinion, he’s going to be up front and he’s going to be honest. I really, really want to be that way as well. When a player asks me a question, I want to be able to give him an honest truth and an answer that, even though it may not be exactly what they want to hear, hopefully it’s what’s best for them in the long run.
Have you and your dad discussed him joining UNLV in any capacity?
He can be on staff if he wants. That would be great. (Laughter.) I’m sure knowing him, he will be willing and able and hoping to help UNLV. Not just basketball, but UNLV in any possible way he can.
When you finally get this team on the court for your first practice as a head coach, what are you most looking forward to?
I think just to get on the court in a team setting and really everything that comes with it. Just getting out there and coaching and having a team and an idea and seeing how guys work together. Figuring out that puzzle and how we’re going to make that work going forward. That’s a lot of fun, because it’s on us as coaches to figure out where do we put guys to be the most successful and to help the team win, and how do these pieces work together? What do we want to do with this action? This guys does this really well, how do we incorporate this more? Putting those things together on the court with the team, it’s a lot of fun to put that plan in motion and see them learn and figure it out and gel as a team. I’m really looking forward to that.