Former KU guard Rex Walters ready to coach again after year at Nevada
After serving as special assistant to Nevada basketball coach Eric Musselman during the 2018-19 season, and two years before that working as a coach in Stan Van Gundy’s Detroit Pistons organization, Rex Walters feels he’s well-equipped for his next coaching opportunity, wherever that may be.
“This year was great. Working for Eric Musselman … it was a lot of fun. He and his staff worked extremely hard; we’d get after it,” Walters, a 49-year-old former Kansas guard said Monday in a phone conversation. “It was great being around really good players, seeing how they go about their business,” Walters added of the Wolf Pack players, who went 29-5 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
“Coach Musselman and his staff … they are phenomenal people, workers, competitors. We had a blast. Being around those guys made me re-energized about college basketball again. To think about having a chance to recruit and coach those type of kids again is something I’m excited about if possibilities come up.”
Walters — a former head coach at Florida Atlantic and San Francisco — recently spoke with officials at UMKC and Stetson about their head men’s basketball coaching openings. UMKC introduced Billy Donlon as its coach on Friday.
“I’d never say no to the NBA (opportunities) as well,” Walters said. “Working for Stan Van Gundy, who had the No. 8 defense in the NBA … he really helped me on that end. I’ve been spoiled playing for coach (Roy) Williams, whose teams play so fast, learning from him. And also two years in the NBA and a year at Nevada learning even more what we’d like to do on the defensive end.”
Walters said he “was excited” about speaking with officials at UMKC and Stetson, who ultimately hired Billy Donlon and Donnie Jones respectively.
“There were conversations. It was not right for them and me as well,” Walters said. “That’s OK. I learned a lot and enjoyed the process (of interviewing again). It was not meant to be. It’s kind of been slowing down,” he added of putting his name in the hat for possible jobs. “It’s a matter of finding the right fit, finding a common vision.”
Walters, who played seven years in the NBA, continues to receive counsel from former KU coach Williams, whose North Carolina Tar Heels were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Auburn, 97-80, on Friday night at the Sprint Center.
“I talked to him last week. He’s always there for me,” said Walters, leading scorer on KU’s Williams-coached 1993 Final Four team. “He and Coach Rob (Steve Robinson, UNC assistant and former KU assistant) have always been helpful, not just getting involved with jobs but giving advice. Coach Williams is a great man. I texted him after the game (loss to Auburn). He’s the best … literally the best.”
The bottom line is Walters would like to be head coach or assistant again in 2019-20.
“If the opportunity came up, I’d want to help someone I respect, someone I trust who recruits the kind of kids who have a chance to do special things on and off the court,” Walters said. “If the opportunity came up, I’d jump at it. It doesn’t have to be head coaching, but somebody I want to work for and respect and does it the right way. With a lot of college rumors, innuendo (regarding schools breaking recruiting rules) … that has never been me, never been what I’m about. Whether I agree with the rules or not, rules are rules. They are written. You’ve got to follow them.
“I’d love to be a head coach again, no question. Coach Williams is really smart. If you just follow what Dean Smith and Roy Williams do … you are going to do well. I’ve taken some hard jobs that I learned a lot from. You want to put yourself in a situation where the kids can achieve academically and athletically. I think I learned a lot just sitting back and watching this past year. I was able to pick up some things and it gave me time for reflection as well.”
Nevada wound up losing its NCAA first-round game to Florida.
“It is a long season,” Walters said. “Now the NBA … that is a real grind. I remember my junior year, it was a great year, we lost in the second round,” he added of a 1991-92 KU team (27-5) that fell to UTEP, 66-60, in the second round of the NCAAs. “It was similar at Nevada — 29-5, tied for most wins in Nevada history, ranked as high as fifth in the nation, lose three games at the end of the regular season, all on the road. We were a little banged up against Florida. We were 29-5 but lost in the first round. It is a long season. It was fun. I enjoyed it.”
He currently has two children playing college basketball. Daughter Addi, a junior guard who averaged 9.5 points a game this past season at Stetson, has entered the transfer portal and will play elsewhere her senior year. Son Rex Jr. played sparingly his freshman season, also at Stetson, and is planning on returning for his sophomore campaign with the Hatters.
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Former KU guard Rex Walters ready to coach again after year at Nevada."