By: Tyler Ward
It was announced Friday that former UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Lon Kruger will now be the new head man for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Kruger coached at UNLV for seven seasons, including taking the team to the annual NCAA Tournament four times.
Terms of Kruger's contract weren't immediately given, but his annual salary has nearly doubled to $2.2 million per season.He said in a statement, "This is an exciting day. I have appreciated the Oklahoma program for many years and always felt it had all of the components necessary to compete at the highest national level."
The 58-year-old compiled a 161-71 record with UNLV.
In total, he has 479 career wins with UNLV, Kansas State, Florida, and Illinois. He also coached the NBA's Atlanta Hawks for the three seasons.
Kruger takes over for Jeff Capel, who was fired on March 14 after five seasons with the Sooners.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione also said, "Lon Kruger wins with class, and in the coaching realm, I don't know if the praise gets any higher. His background, ranging from regular trips to the NCAA tournament to his time in the NBA, is among the most unique and complete in college basketball.
"He has demonstrated the ability to manage a program across the board, and the results speak for themselves," Castiglione went on to say. "We have placed our program in the hands of a true professional and one of the most respected coaches in the country."
Since becoming a head coach, Kruger has taken his teams to the NCAA tournament thirteen times, reaching the Sweet Sixteen or farther three times.
