At the end of his era, Dave Rice won the news conference simply by showing up and standing tall. A short time after being fired Sunday as UNLV basketball coach, Rice met with the media and discussed his demise.

Dec 16, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice shouts toward an official during a game against Arizona State at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV basketball assistant coach and former Findlay Prep coach Todd Simon watches Findlay Prep take on Westwind during their game Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2015 at Henderson International School. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV coaches, from left, Todd Simon, Stacey Augmon, Dave Rice and Ryan Miller watch a free throw attempt during the second half of their Mountain West Conference tournament game against UNR Wednesday, March 11, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won 67-46 and will face San Diego State on Thursday. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Dec 19, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Dave Rice signals during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center. Arizona won 82-70. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 22, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice talks to a player in a huddle during a game against South Dakota at Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won the game 103-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 6, 2016; Fort Collins, CO, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Dave Rice gestures from the sidelines in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 12, 2015; Riverside, CA, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Dave Rice in the second half of the game against the UC Riverside Highlanders at UC Riverside Student Recreation Center. UNLV won 73-62. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 9, 2016; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice reacts against the Wyoming Cowboys during the second half at Arena-Auditorium. The Cowboys beat the Runnin' Rebels 59-57. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 9, 2016; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice reacts against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first half at Arena-Auditorium. The Cowboys beat the Runnin' Rebels 59-57. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 9, 2016; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice before game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Arena-Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 31, 2014; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice reacts against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first half at Arena-Auditorium. The Cowboys defeated the Runnin' Rebels 76-71. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 31, 2014; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice reacts against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first half at Arena-Auditorium. The Cowboys defeated the Runnin' Rebels 76-71. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 27, 2015; Reno, NV, USA; Runnin’ Rebel head coach Dave Rice calls in a play during the first half of their NCAA basketball game with the Nevada Wolf Pack at Lawlor Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports.

NCAA official Kelly Self tells UNLV head coach Dave Rice to get back to his bench during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts after UNLV forward Chris Wood committed a line violation during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game against Wyoming Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won the game 69-57. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice talks to his players during a time out in the second half of their Mountain West Conference tournament quarterfinal game against San Diego State Thursday, March 12, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. San Diego State won 67-64. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice calls a play during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game against San Diego State Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice positions his players during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game against San Diego State Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice questions the call of official David Hall during their game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014 at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV guard Cody Doolin bumps into a frowning head coach Dave Rice as they head to a timeout after a Boise State basket during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Boise State won 53-48. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice motions for his players to get up the floor during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game against Boise State Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Boise State won 53-48. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice talks to his players during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game against Fresno State Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won 73-61. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts after a botched play during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game against New Mexico Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice questions a call by official Brad Ferrie during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at The Pit in Albuquerque. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice enters The Pit for their Mountain West Conference game against New Mexico Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, in Albuquerque. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts after an Rebel offensive turnover during the second half of their game against Portland Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won 75-73 in overtime. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Head coach Dave Rice talks to his team during a time out in their game against Southern Utah Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won the game 79-45. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice winces after an offensive Rebel foul during their MGM Grand Showcase game against Utah Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. Utah won 59-46. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice covers his face in frustration after a Rebels turnover to Utah State during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won in overtime, 79-77. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts to a foul call during the first half of their Mountain West Conference game against Utah State Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts after giving up a 3-point basket to Air Force during the second half of their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won the game 74-63. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Dec 31, 2014; Laramie, WY, USA; UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Dave Rice before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Arena-Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts during a basketball game against Arizona State at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015. Arizona State won 66-56 over UNLV. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts as his team takes on the Fresno State Bulldogs during a basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. UNLV lost 69-66 against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV head coach Dave Rice, center, talks with the team during the Scarlet and Gray scrimmage at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV head coach Dave Rice looks on during the Scarlet and Gray scrimmage at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV Rebels head coach Dave Rice reacts to a call in the first half against the Utah State Aggies at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in 2015. (Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY)

UNLV Runnin' Rebels coach Dave Rice speaks with news media about former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian following his passing at age 84 in the morning at Valley Hospital, inside Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV Runnin' Rebels coach Dave Rice speaks with news media about former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian following his passing at age 84 in the morning at Valley Hospital, inside Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV Runnin' Rebels coach Dave Rice speaks with news media about former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian following his passing at age 84 in the morning at Valley Hospital, inside Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV basketball head coach Dave Rice speaks during a public memorial for hall of fame coach Jerry Tarkanian at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas Sunday, March 1, 2015. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Dave Rice reacts after UNLV forward Goodluck Okonoboh knocked the ball out of their own basket during their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Feb 7, 2015; Fort Collins, CO, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Dave Rice calls out from his sideline in second half against the Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena. The Rams defeated the Rebels 83-82. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

At the end of his era, Dave Rice won the news conference simply by showing up and standing tall. A short time after being fired Sunday as UNLV basketball coach, Rice met with the media and discussed his demise.

The Rebels did not win enough meaningful games under Rice, and that’s one reason he was sent packing in the middle of his fifth season.

After a lengthy meeting between Rice and UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy, the school announced Rice had resigned. The truth is he was forced out.

“After quite a bit of discussion, we mutually agreed I would step aside,” Rice said. “I want to do what’s right for everyone involved. That’s my personality. I’m a team guy.”

Rice, 47, was a class act to the end. He had no plans to resign, and Kunzer-Murphy acknowledged as much, although she refused to admit he was fired.

“Dave is not a quitter,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “We mutually agreed for him to step aside. I felt we needed to make a change. We expect to win here.”

It had become obvious a change was imminent, and with the approval of UNLV President Len Jessup, Kunzer-Murphy took the unusual step of dumping her basketball coach midseason. The Rebels fell to 9-7 overall and 0-3 in the Mountain West after a 59-57 loss at Wyoming on Saturday.

Amid widespread speculation that his job was in jeopardy, Rice said he expected to coach the team Tuesday against New Mexico. But Kunzer-Murphy called him in for a Sunday meeting, and Rice’s run ended with a 98-54 record.

Kunzer-Murphy appointed Todd Simon as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Simon, who held the position of associate head coach, is in his third season on the Rebels’ staff.

Rice said he had a “very emotional meeting” with his players.

“I love those guys,” Rice said. “I’m proud of what we accomplished. As a coach, you always want to win more games. It’s a great program. I’m honored I was able to be a part of it as a player, as an assistant coach and as a head coach.”

Rice was a reserve on the Rebels’ 1990 NCAA championship team. He is a UNLV graduate who stayed in the program as an assistant coach for 11 seasons. But he was fired now because several powerful boosters no longer wanted to support his underachieving program and because Kunzer-Murphy said she was aware that many angry fans wanted him gone.

Rice arrived with fanfare, leaving his post as a Brigham Young assistant to return home. Late coach Jerry Tarkanian attended his introductory news conference on April 10, 2011.

Rice started with a bang, reaching the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons. In November of his first season, the Rebels upset No. 1 North Carolina. But the team’s win totals decreased each season — from 26 to 25 to 20 to 18 — and this season was turning into a bust.

In March 2014, Kunzer-Murphy recommended Rice’s contract be extended two years through the 2018-19 season. Since receiving the extension, Rice compiled a 27-22 record, including 8-13 in the Mountain West. UNLV finished seventh in the conference last season and has missed the postseason each of the past two seasons.

Asked about Rice’s contract extension, Kunzer-Murphy said, “Was it the right thing to do? I thought it was. I feel very responsible for it.”

In March, despite pressure to fire Rice, Kunzer-Murphy granted him a reprieve. So this was viewed as his make-or-break season, and Kunzer-Murphy recently decided the relationship had reached a breaking point.

She said December home losses to Arizona State and Fresno State signaled an alarm, and the team had become “tough to watch” in last week’s losses at Colorado State and Wyoming.

Rice will be paid around $1 million by UNLV, receiving the balance of his remaining base salary ($300,000 per year) for the rest of this year and the three years left on his contract.

“I want to thank Coach Rice for all of his efforts,” Jessup said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the results on the court did not reflect the passion and dedication he has for the program. Dave is a role model as a person who has demonstrated professionalism throughout his tenure. This was not an easy decision, but sometimes change is necessary to move forward.”

Kunzer-Murphy said she chose Simon as interim coach instead of Rice’s other assistants — Stacey Augmon, Max Good and Ryan Miller.

“All of those coaches are great coaches. I think Todd has the attributes we need,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “We have a lot of basketball yet to play. There is plenty of time to turn the season around.”

Simon, 35, was head coach at Findlay Prep for the 2012-13 season and posted a 35-1 record. He was a video assistant under former UNLV coach Lon Kruger from 2004 to 2006 and earned his master’s degree from UNLV in 2010.

“It certainly is an emotional roller coaster of a day,” Simon said. “She asked me to take on this leadership role, and you never want to really take it over in these circumstances, so from that standpoint it’s mixed emotions.

“I love this team. I believe in these kids. I believe they were all-in with Coach Rice’s message, but new energy probably never hurts.”

Kunzer-Murphy said she expects UNLV will conduct a “national search” for its next head coach. Simon and the coaches on staff will be candidates. Other candidates who might surface include former NBA coach Mike Brown, former UCLA and St. John’s coach Steve Lavin and Oklahoma assistant Steve Henson, who was on Kruger’s staff at UNLV.

Rice is not going into retirement, saying, “I think I’ve got a lot of coaching left in me.”

But his era at UNLV has ended, and not by his choice.

— Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.