Dan Wolken

USA TODAY Sports

Recently fired Sacramento Kings coach George Karl is making a push to land the suddenly open coaching position at Nevada-Las Vegas, USA TODAY Sports has learned.

A person with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the coaching search, said Karl has already had initial dialogue with school officials about the job. UNLV initiated that contact Thursday night when it became apparent Chris Beard might leave for Texas Tech. Beard informed UNLV he was leaving for Texas Tech on Friday, according to a statement by UNLV athletics director Tina Kunzer-Murphy.

Chris Beard leaving for Texas Tech job after short stay at UNLV

Karl’s name has come up with college jobs before, particularly whenever his alma mater North Carolina has been open. Karl also strongly considered taking the UNLV job in 2004 after being fired by the Milwaukee Bucks. Instead, he decided to wait and took over the Denver Nuggets midway through the 2004-05 season. UNLV hired Lon Kruger and went to four NCAA tournaments over the next seven years.

Beard left UNLV after less than three weeks. Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement released by the school, “Coach Beard has informed me he intends to pursue the men’s basketball head coaching job at Texas Tech. This unprecedented move is extremely disappointing to the President and I, for our program and to our fans.

“Our search process allowed us to develop a deep pool of qualified candidates, from which we will select a great coach who really wants to be here and who will honor his commitments in leading the Runnin’ Rebels.”

Don't blame UNLV coach Chris Beard if he leaves for Texas Tech

Though there would be questions about his age and desire after flaming out in Sacramento, not to mention his heath after overcoming two battles with cancer in the last decade, Karl would be the kind of big-name hire UNLV initially tried to make when it fired Dave Rice midway through last season. Instead, it wound up with Beard from Arkansas-Little Rock, who sprung onto the radar with an upset over Purdue in the NCAA tournament.

Karl shouldn’t be a hard sell for UNLV, which previously chose Beard over New Mexico State’s Marvin Menzies. Not only would he bring NBA cachet and a résumé that includes 1,175 wins, he coaches an up-tempo offensively-oriented style that would play be well-received in the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Karl was owed upward of $7 million from the Kings, and it is not believed that money would be a major issue in his decision to coach college basketball again.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACHING CAROUSEL