Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV coach Kevin Kruger hires assistant from Oklahoma

Kevin Kruger

Courtesy of UNLV

Kevin Kruger gives instructions to UNLV players during a timeout in this undated file photo. Kruger, a former player and an assistant coach to T.J. Otzelberger at UNLV, was introduced Monday as the Rebels new head coach.

Kevin Kruger has made his first hire as head coach of the UNLV basketball program, adding former Oklahoma assistant Carlin Hartman to his staff.

Hartman confirmed the move Tuesday via his Twitter account.

The connections are obvious. Kruger and Hartman were both assistants at Oklahoma from 2016-19, working under Kruger’s father, Sooners head coach Lon Kruger.

Kevin Kruger left Oklahoma to join T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at UNLV in 2019, while Hartman continued on with the Sooners. Hartman was a key recruiter for the elder Kruger while also specializing in player development for Oklahoma’s big men; he was the lead recruiter on All-Big 12 First Team guard Austin Reaves, and fellow Big 12 coaches voted him one of the top three assistants in the conference in 2020.

Hartman’s addition comes one day after it was reported that UNLV assistant DeMarlo Slocum will be leaving Las Vegas to return to Utah as part of new coach Craig Smith’s staff. Slocum, a Vegas native, previously served as an assistant at Utah before Otzelberger brought him aboard to spearhead local recruiting efforts at UNLV.

Lon Kruger announced his retirement last week and Kevin quickly confirmed his father will be around UNLV basketball and involved with the team at some level, whether in an official or unofficial capacity. Between the two Krugers and now Hartman, the UNLV program is beginning to take on a distinct Oklahoma drawl.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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