Busting Brackets
Fansided

Nevada Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Wolf Pack

By Jacob Shames

RENO, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Jalen Harris #1 of the Nevada Wolf Pack comes off the court during the game against the California Baptist Lancers at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Jalen Harris #1 of the Nevada Wolf Pack comes off the court during the game against the California Baptist Lancers at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the second half against the Liberty Flames at Pauley Pavilion on December 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the second half against the Liberty Flames at Pauley Pavilion on December 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

Coach

To replace Musselman, Nevada hired another big name — Steve Alford, who UCLA fired last December after five-plus years. Then, the Wolf Pack signed him to a historic 10-year contract with $11.6 million fully guaranteed.

The 54-year-old Alford has made previous coaching stops at D-III Manchester, Southwest Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico and UCLA. But his arrival in Reno felt a lot like a homecoming anyway — upon his hiring, Alford said that he hoped that Nevada would be his last stop as a head coach. He’s familiar with the Mountain West, having had his greatest successes as a coach there: in his six years in Albuquerque, he won three conference titles and made the postseason every year, including four NCAA Tournament bids.

Per the Associated Press, Alford wants a fast-paced offense, similar to the one Musselman implemented. Defensively, he expects his Pack to play predominantly man-to-man, similar to his defenses at New Mexico.

“Obviously it’s a little bit different than what we took over at New Mexico,” Alford told NevadaSportsNet in August. “The high level is here, the attention is here, the support is here. Now it’s about consistency. I have no interest in moving. I want to make roots and settle down late in my career and build something very special.”