Josh Pastner is reportedly headed to UNLV for another go at coaching. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel, the university is “finalizing” a deal to hire the 47-year-old Pastner, making it a promising addition for UNLV. Previously, Pastner achieved a 276-187 record at Memphis and Georgia Tech before parting ways with the Yellow Jackets in 2023.
Despite stepping away from coaching, Pastner has maintained a strong presence in the sport, taking on roles as an analyst for the ACC Network, NBC Sports on Peacock, CBS Sports Network, and The Field of 68. In a 2024 interview with Awful Announcing’s Michael Grant, he expressed uncertainty about his future: “I love coaching, but I’ve loved doing (announcing). I’ve had a great time doing the television. I was at two high-level schools, and we had success at both of them. I don’t know what kind of opportunities there will be moving forward. I’ve tried to do the best I can to take it day by day, to try to get better at television. I think I’ve improved. I’ve been fortunate to be around good people on different networks, good colleagues, good hosts, and good producers who have helped me from all across the different networks.”
In a 2023 interview with the Arizona Daily Star, Pastner revealed he received offers right away to return to coaching, but he chose to take a step back to “recenter” himself. “I had some chances to get back in as a head coach right away, and I elected not to,” he said. “I wanted to take a year and really recenter, and I was excited about trying to do television.”
While Pastner embarks on his new journey in Las Vegas, his absence will be felt in broadcasting. He had a unique way of analyzing the game, often incorporating humor, as shown in this exchange with former North Carolina star Armando Bacot on the ACC Network:
“Josh Pastner here. I’ve had the privilege to coach against you for the past four years. You’ve had double-doubles against me every time. That’s why I’m sitting here asking you a question instead of coaching against you.” 💀
— The Tar Heel Story (@tarheelstory) January 25, 2024
