Pastner Officially Announces His Runnin’ Rebel Coaching Staff

The staff includes associate head coach Scott Garson, assistant coaches Anthony Wilkins and Justin Hawkins, director of strategy and analytics Hayden Sheridan and director of basketball operations DeShawn Henry.

“This coaching staff brings a diverse range of experiences and skills that will be critical for our program’s growth and success,” Pastner said. “Their energy and tireless work ethic will be key as we continue to construct our roster and prepare for the 2025-26 season and beyond. I believe we have put together an outstanding group of coaches that will foster an environment where our players will thrive as student-athletes and well as individuals as we compete for conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths.”

Garson comes to UNLV from Santa Clara, where he was an assistant coach for the last seven seasons. A collegiate coach for almost three decades, he also spent time as head coach at the College of Idaho where he achieved a 129-42 record from 2013-18, including three conference championships and a Final Four appearance. He was the 2015 recipient of the Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year Award. At Santa Clara, he was instrumental in helping guide the program to seven straight winning seasons and multiple postseason berths. Garson was also an assistant coach at UCLA under Ben Howland, contributing to three NCAA Final Four appearances and the development of 16 NBA players. He also worked at Utah under Rick Majerus.

Wilkins joins the Runnin’ Rebels from UTRGV (Texas-Rio Grande Valley), where he was an assistant coach during the 2024-25 season. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt for a season after spending five seasons at Georgia Tech with Pastner, where he was an assistant coach for four seasons before being promoted to associate head coach in 2022-23. While with the Yellow Jackets, he made major contributions in player and skill development, aiding in the on-court growth of future NBA players Jose Alvarado and Moses Wright. He also helped lead Georgia Tech to the 2021 ACC Tournament championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Wilkins was also at Tulane for five seasons where he began as the director of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant coach after his first season. He began his coaching career at his alma mater Kent State.

Hawkins returns to UNLV after serving on the coaching staff at UNR for the past three seasons. He was also the director of player development for the Wolf Pack. Prior to moving to Reno, he was the director of basketball operations at Pacific for two seasons after serving the previous four as the Tigers’ video specialist. A former standout as a student-athlete for the Runnin’ Rebels, he played at UNLV from 2009-13, where he was team captain for two years and played in the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons. After his collegiate playing career, Hawkins was an assistant varsity coach and freshmen head coach at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada.

Sheridan comes to UNLV from Georgia Tech, where he was the director of scouting and video coordinator for the last seven seasons. In that role, he oversaw the team’s video operations and managed the collection and analysis of video to assist in scouting opponents and evaluating recruits. He also managed the team’s technology needs and helped oversee the student managers. Prior to that position, he was a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech for two seasons. He also worked as an NBA Draft assistant for BDA Sports.

Henry will continue in his current position with some expanded responsibilities. He has spent the past six seasons at UNLV as the program’s director of basketball operations where he has assisted with scheduling, budget management, team travel, day-to-day logistics and general operations of the program. Prior to joining the Runnin’ Rebel staff, Henry, a UNLV graduate, spent 20 years coaching student-athletes in Las Vegas at Desert Pines High School and Durango High School. He helped 56 players advance to the collegiate level and earned Coach of the Year honors twice.

2025-26 SEASON TICKETS: The season ticket renewal process for Runnin’ Rebel basketball at the Thomas & Mack Center is underway, with the renewal deadline set for June 2. New season tickets are also available now, starting at just $115. Under the leadership of new head coach Josh Pastner, fans can look forward to an exciting season ahead. For purchase or additional information, please visit UNLVtickets.com or call (702) 739-FANS (3267).