TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (April 12, 2024) – A new era for the nationally-acclaimed Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team has begun. 
 
Dave Rice, a longtime college coaching fixture on the West Coast, has agreed to become SLCC's newest coach, replacing Kyle Taylor, who left to become an assistant coach with Coastal Carolina. A former head coach at UNLV, Rice most recently served as an assistant coach with Cal Baptist.
 
Kevin Dustin, SLCC's Director of Athletics and Recreation, expressed both appreciation for Taylor's tenure and elation at Rice's hire in prepared comments.
 
"I want to thank Kyle and Shannon (Taylor) and their entire family for giving their heart and soul to Salt Lake Community College these past five years," he said. "The success of our program has been unparalleled thanks to Coach Taylor and his staff. We are sad to see them go, but this an incredible opportunity for Kyle and his family.
 
"With change comes opportunity, and we felt the need to move expeditiously and make sure our players had the support they need to start building a roster for next year.  College athletics is changing at an incredible pace, and Salt Lake Community College is committed to being a leader within the NJCAA. The ability to hire Dave Rice, who is considered one of the best in the coaching profession, could only have happened with the historical success of SLCC.  
 
"Dave has decades of experience at the highest level of college basketball, is a relentless recruiter, understands what it takes to win, and is extremely well-connected nationally.  During the search process, the amount of positive feedback I received was extraordinary.  I am grateful Coach Rice agreed to join our terrific staff, where winning, academics, and student-athlete welfare are part of our culture.  Coach Rice will be a great fit for Salt Lake Community College, and we are excited for Dave, his wife, Mindy, and their sons, Travis and Dylan, to join our team."
 
For his part, Rice said the opportunity to coach at SLCC is an opportunity he doesn't take lightly.
 
"There is a great tradition of success associated with SLCC Men's Basketball," he said. "It is a program that has consistently had tremendous coaches and terrific players. When you are on campus, you can feel the student-centered mindset. It is absolutely a place where we can compete for championships and develop our players on-and-off the court."
 
Rice's time leading UNLV culminated in two NCAA tournament appearances, including a victory over then-No. 1 North Carolina in his first year coaching the Runnin' Rebels. UNLV spent 27 weeks in the AP Top-25 while he served as head coach, with Rice winning 10 games against ranked teams while at UNLV. He also coached several notable NBA prospects in his time at UNLV, including the 2013 No. 1 pick – Anthony Bennett – and 2015 No. 17 pick Rashad Vaughan. He is third all-time in wins at UNLV, behind Tarkanian and Lon Kruger.
 
He has experienced immense success as both a player and a coach, winning the 1990 NCAA championship while playing for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels under Jerry Tarkanian, part of two NCAA Final Fours he played in. A Rhodes Scholar candidate as a student-athlete, Rice quickly moved into coaching after graduating at UNLV, eventually serving under three UNLV coaches (Tim Grgurich, Bill Bayno, and Charlie Spoonhour) while helping the Runnin' Rebels to two NCAA tournament appearances.
 
Rice also notably served as an assistant coach at two Utah programs, coaching under Stew Morrill at Utah State, and Dave Rose at BYU. While at BYU, he helped lead the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in 2011, contributing to five NCAA berths for BYU. Utah State qualified for the NCAA tournament in Rice's lone season with the Aggies in 2005. 
 
Since moving on from UNLV, Rice has served as an assistant coach at Nevada and Washington. His first full-time coaching job came in the junior college ranks, coaching at California's Chaffey College. 
 
"I am blessed to have been mentored by many great coaches, including some like Dave Rose and Stew Morrill, who have had great success in the state of Utah," he said. "I can't list them all, but every coach I've worked for has had a profound impact on my basketball philosophy and the development of my system."
 
Rice noted his coaching mentality is based in consistency and discipline.
 
"I believe in recruiting talented players, but I also place a high priority on skill and character," he said.  "It is important that I'm the same person every day, pushing our players to be the best they can be through positive reinforcement and holding them to a high standard. The concept of team is critical to our success. The bottom line is the players will get our staff's best every day and we expect the same from our players."
 
Looking at his experiences, Rice said SLCC provides the ideal destination to help develop players and provide opportunities for their futures.
 
"I've been very fortunate to be part of many successful programs, and to play with and coach lots of great players," he noted. "It is very important to me that we are competing for championships, but it is equally important to me that we are developing our players to have the opportunity to be recruited to schools where they can have an impact on the court and achieve academically. "