UNLV Head Coach Search: Latest News and Rumors on Position

UNLV turned to an unlikely source for its new head coach in former Bishop Gorman High School coach Tony Sanchez. Sanchez was named coach over other big names such as Ed Orgeron and Houston Nutt.

Continue for updates.

Thursday, Dec. 11

UNLV Officially Announces Sanchez 

UNLV officially named Tony Sanchez its new head coach on Thursday:

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Tony Sanchez, who built a national powerhouse at Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High School, will now attempt to create another consistent winner in town as he was introduced Thursday as the choice to become the 11th head coach in Rebel football history by UNLV Director of Athletics Tina Kunzer-Murphy. Sanchez' hiring is pending approval of terms by the Board of Regents at a special meeting called for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

"Tony Sanchez may be a new face to the college game but he is a dynamic leader, a proven winner and an outstanding coach," UNLV President Donald Snyder said. "He also understands the importance of academics. He has the passion and dedication to elevate UNLV football and provides a strong connection to the Las Vegas community.

"Athletics are part of the overall student experience at a major university and we need to be competitive. Given the state of our football program, it was time for a completely new approach. We have tried the traditional route in the past and it has not worked. This begins a new era of UNLV football. We want to generate excitement and energy for the fans, the alumni and all of Southern Nevada."

 

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Tuesday, Dec. 9

Rebels Reportedly Asks Sanchez

Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated has an update on the Rebels' coaching search:

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Bishop Gorman High's Tony Sanchez is in the process of finalizing an agreement to become UNLV’s new head coach, according to a source.

Sanchez, 40, won his sixth consecutive Nevada Division I state championship and capped a 15-0 season at the Las Vegas powerhouse on Saturday. He also likely clinched the program’s first mythical national title, as Bishop Gorman is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps.com and USA Today. Sanchez’s record is 85-5 at the affluent private Catholic school.

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Tuesday, Dec. 3

UNLV Approaches Orgeron

In its search for a coach that can resuscitate a program gasping for air, the UNLV football program has reportedly contacted Ed Orgeron and Houston Nutt for its vacancy.   

Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the news, though it's unclear what level of interest either Orgeron or Nutt has:

Bobby Hauck tendered his resignation prior to Saturday's season-ending 49-27 loss to rival Nevada. The Rebels went 2-11 in Hauck's fifth season with the program, disappointing following a surprising 7-6 run in 2013. Hauck, who became one of the nation's most sought-after coaches following a successful run at Montana, went 15-49 in his five seasons.

"No one has worked harder in trying to achieve consistent success with our football program than Coach Hauck and we thank him for his dedication and leadership," athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement. "He and his staff have worked tirelessly in trying to achieve the results we all want to see but it unfortunately has not happened."

Adding either Orgeron or Nutt would signal a shift in attitude for a program that's reached two bowl games since the turn of the century.

Gus Ruelas/Associated Press

Orgeron, a longtime defensive assistant and recruiting coordinator at USC, left the program after he was passed over for the Trojans job for Steve Sarkisian last offseason. The 53-year-old Louisiana native went 6-2 as the interim head coach following Lane Kiffin's firing and had the support of a majority of the locker room. His deft recruiting skills would be a boost for UNLV, which has struggled to even attract mid-tier players to its struggling program.

Orgeron's first attempt at running a program, though, didn't result in much success. He went 10-25 in three seasons at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2007, winning just three times in SEC play. 

Ironically enough, it was Nutt who was Orgeron's successor in Oxford. Nutt went a 18-8 in his first two seasons while largely using players Orgeron recruited before the program began a rapid descent. The Rebels were only 6-18 in Nutt's final two seasons, and he was replaced by Hugh Freeze, who has brought the program back to national prominence.

Much more encouraging from a football perspective—and much less so from an off-field perspective—was Nutt's run at Arkansas. The Razorbacks went 75-48 in his decade with the program, though he resigned under less-than-ideal circumstances.

While neither is a perfect coaching candidate, even mentioning Nutt and Orgeron in connection with UNLV is a sign to other prospective coaches that the program is ready to do what it takes to contend.

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