UNLV head coach Dave Rice motions to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS — UNLV basketball coach Dave Rice has resigned in the middle of his fifth season after the struggling Runnin' Rebels opened Mountain West Conference play with three straight losses.
Associate head coach Todd Simon will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season, Rebels athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy announced Sunday night.
Rice, who was an assistant coach at BYU under Dave Rose from 2005-11, was under pressure to win this season after UNLV failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season in 2014-15.