Lady Rebels Head Coach Kathy Olivier calls out as she is introduced during the Runnin’ Rebels Scarlet & Gray Showcase at Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.
Friday, March 6, 2020 | 1:22 p.m.
Kathy Olivier, who led the UNLV women’s basketball team to the 2017-18 regular season Mountain West championship, has stepped down as the program’s head coach, the university announced today.
Olivier, a UNLV graduate, spent 12 seasons at the helm of the program. The Rebels never made the NCAA Tournament during her tenure, including this past season when they finished with a 13-17 record and lost by 19 points in the quarterfinals of the league tournament.
“I want to thank Kathy and her staff for their contributions to our women’s basketball program,” UNLV Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement. “We wish her well and know that she will continue to remain involved with the program as a decorated alumnae.”
The Rebels, whose last NCAA Tournament berth was in 2002, had three consecutive seasons of WNIT appearances under Olivier. The league title three seasons ago was the first Mountain West title in program history.
“Thank you to Desiree and our entire support staff for their dedication to our program,” Olivier said in a statement. “I am proud of the accomplishments that we were able to achieve together. We have a talented team and I am confident that our ladies will stay focused on reaching success in the classroom, on the court and in the community.”
The university intends to conduct a national search for a replacement.
