Tim Buckley

Tim Buckley

Now in his third year as an assistant coach for the UNLV men’s basketball program, Tim Buckley joined the Runnin’ Rebel staff in April 2019.

During his first season in Las Vegas in 2019-20, UNLV tied for second place in the Mountain West, marking the program’s best league finish in 12 years. The team also sent shockwaves through the college basketball world with its victory at fourth-ranked and previously undefeated San Diego State, posting the program’s best true road win since 1991 (a span of 29 seasons).

During the summer of 2020, Buckley was named one of the top assistant coaches in the Mountain West by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

Achievement in the classroom is just as important to the UNLV men’s basketball coaching staff. The team performed in the classroom at record levels during Buckley’s first season at UNLV. During fall 2019, the Runnin’ Rebels achieved new highs for grade point averages – 3.25 for the semester and 3.1 cumulative. Then, during spring 2020, the team improved on its record cumulative GPA with a 3.13 when 11 Runnin’ Rebel student-athletes turned in at least a 3.0 semester.

With Buckley’s assistance during the 2019-20 season, UNLV guard Bryce Hamilton became UNLV’s first first-team all-conference honoree in seven seasons as he averaged 20 points per game in league play – also a first for a UNLV player in the previous 10 seasons. Hamilton’s league scoring average improved by a stunning 17 points per game in just one season, which helped him earn two of the program’s three MW Player of the Week awards during the season.

Buckley served as a scout with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves for two years (2017-19) before joining the staff at UNLV. Prior to that, he was at Indiana under Tom Crean as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach.

During his nine years in Bloomington (2008-17), the Hoosiers were nationally ranked, won Big Ten championships, made multiple NCAA Tournament runs, recruited McDonald's All-Americans and developed All-Americans who went on the NBA, including 2013 National Player of the Year Victor Oladipo.

Prior to his time at Indiana, Buckley was an assistant coach at Marquette (2007-08), also under Crean, and was an assistant coach at Iowa (2006-07) under Steve Alford. 

He also has head coaching experience as he led Ball State for six seasons (2000-06) and Rockford for four (1989-93). 

He led the Cardinals to upset wins over No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 UCLA during the 2001 Maui Invitational.

Additionally, he was the top assistant coach on Crean's first Marquette staff (1999-00) and prior to that spent five seasons at Ball State as an assistant coach and one as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (1993-94). 

His collegiate coaching career began at Bemidji State as an assistant coach before he moved on to Rockford where he was an assistant before becoming the head coach.

Buckley played collegiately at Waubonsee Community College in Illinois and then at Bemidji State, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees. His bachelor's is in communications (1986), while his master's is in administration of physical education (1988).

Tim and his wife, Shannon, have a daughter, Meredith.