USF offers basketball coach position to UNLV's David Rice

UNLV men's head basketball coach David Rice has been offered the head job at USF and is considering accepting, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Citing sources, the story reported that Rice was on his way back to Las Vegas after interviewing for the job in Tampa, where the offer was extended by the school.

The offer is a five-year deal worth $1.2 million per year, which is the same contract given to Manhattan College coach Steve Masiello earlier in the week.

Masiello signed with USF, but the school rescinded the deal after it learned that he was not a college graduate as stated on his resume.

The 45-year-old Rice received a bachelor’s degree and has an MBA from UNLV and was a Rhodes Scholar candidate, according to the Review-Journal, which stated he has three years remaining at $700,000 per season on his contract.

The Rebels finished last season at 20-13 missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in Rice’s three years at the school.

Rice played on UNLV’s 1990 national championship team on a Jerry Tarkanian squad that included NBA first round draft picks Greg Anthony, Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon.

Rice took over UNLV in 2011 replacing Lon Kruger (former Florida coach). He made the second round of the NCAA tournament his first two years.

This story was originally published March 28, 2014 at 9:37 PM with the headline "USF offers basketball coach position to UNLV's David Rice."