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I like all three names that I hear in regards to the permanent UNLV athletic director’s job.
Jerry Koloskie, the interim, I’ve always liked. He’s really good. And I like Steve Stallworth, at the South Point. I thought he did a great job at the Orleans. And I like Tina Kunzer-Murphy, the Las Vegas Bowl director.
They’re all very good.
They’re all a thousand times better than Dennis Finfrock. Having gone through Finfrock, it’s not hard to like other people.
The best athletic director I’ve ever been around, and I was very fortunate, was when I first went to Long Beach State – Dr. Fred Miller was great. I loved him.
I always thought he’d be the best, that I’d never have one like him.
Then along came Brad Rothermel at UNLV. It’s hard to comprehend how good Brad was. He had no ego, he was a hard worker and all he cared about was helping people.
If you went to Brad … so many (athletic directors) right away answer, No! We can’t do that! When you’d talk to Brad, the first thing he’d say is, We’ll see if we can make it work. You’d sit down and come up with different possibilities.
Sometimes he’d say, Jerry, I don’t think this is feasible. But you’d understand it. You’d finish and know why it couldn’t work.
Finfrock was not an athletic director. He was a destroyer. He just tried to destroy. His job was to destroy, not to build. That’s what he did.
I went from two of the best ADs you could ever have to the very worst, so I have a great understanding of it.
When Rothermel left, every program was doing well, even the women’s sports. The most important thing, they were all happy. You saw baseball coach Fred Dallimore, he was always happy.
Barry Barto, the men’s soccer coach, he was always happy.
You’d go into the office, and everybody was happy and got along. I’d go to soccer games, and I’m not a soccer fan. But I’d go to them. Harvey Hyde, the football coach, was always happy.
Everyone was successful, and that was because of Rothermel.
And we were making $4 million to $5 million a year. We were in the black every year. We were supporting other programs. Everybody got along.
When Rothermel left, there was such animosity, such hard feelings. You didn’t trust anybody. You were afraid to say something, that somebody might hear you. It was like the Gestapo just moved in.
Hardly anyone got along with Finfrock. I don’t even know if it was all his fault, but people were not tuned to him at all.
Then they brought in that guy from Memphis, Charlie Cavagnaro, and they told me all he did was play golf. He was never in the office. I loved John Robinson, but he was a football coach. That’s where his interest lied.
I’ve heard that Herman Frazier, the former Hawaii athletic director whom current UNLV president Dr. Neal Smatresk knows, is a possibility. But, God, I hear that he was terrible.
The most important thing they can do at UNLV is bring Larry Johnson into the athletic fold. He should be an assistant AD or in charge of something there, but they need to make him a part of the program.
He’s the greatest basketball player in UNLV history. Unquestionable. And he’s the best person ever to come through the program. He’s so unselfish and so caring about others.
Everyone in the community that I know loves him. Larry wants to get involved with UNLV. They should make him in charge of public relations or fundraising or something.
He tells me he wants to get involved with the university. He really does. Everybody who meets him loves him. He’d be the best guy for it. It’s not a one-way street with Larry. He’s a super human being.
He would unite the community and bring ’em toward UNLV. There’s nobody else I can think of that would do what Larry could do for the community.
It’s a great job for the right athletic director, but they have to get someone that the community will embrace. The new person has to be part of the community. Great fans are striving for them to be successful.
But that person had better think seriously about bringing Larry Johnson back to the program.
Couldn't agree more Tark.
LJ! LJ! LJ! LJ! LJ!
So right coach! Larry Johnson definitely needs to be involved with the athletic department in some capacity. Especially when the guy is hungry to get involved. UNLV athletics needs to realize that there are big names out there who are former Rebels and that needs to be taken advantage of! Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, Randall Cunningham etc, get them involved, especially if they want to be involved. I could definitely see Larry Johnson being some type of PR liaison or be involved in some type of community relations capacity for the athletic department. Let's do it!
not to mention the guy just finished off his degree at UNLV a year or two ago and actually chose to walk with his class. Talk about a class act move.
ummm Mr koloskie if you want that AD job permanently your first bit move had better be picking up the phone today and caling up Grand Ma Ma
Wow! I just Googled Herman Frazier after Tark mentioned he was friends with UNLV president Neil Smatresk and a "possibility" as the new UNLV AD and what I found is NOT good. Frazier is the same AD who did not re-sign UH football coach June Jones after Jones led UH to the Sugar Bowl! Tark is right he is terrible. It would be a travesty if this guy got the AD job just because he's friends with the new prez. Hopefully that doesn't happen.
Great article Coach. Glad to hear your doing better. Love the LJ idea. I look forward to the next Byte.
I do not think Riley Wallace would have much good to say about Mr. Frazier, either. Sounded like quite an implosion in Honolulu. Wallace signed a no-extension contract (his own doing, he admits), Jones bolted for SMU (whether he didn't get along with Frazier or got quite a sweet deal in Texas, or both) and then Frazier getting ousted in January 2008, pushed along by a very public outcry when Frazier didn't, or couldn't, keep Jones.
Talk about a tangled web ...
Hi Tark!
Greg Anthony for Athletic Director!
Reggie Theus or Bob Huggins for Head Basketball Coach!
John Gruden for Head Football Coach!
New On-Campus Stadium! Steve Stallworth can run it.
Larry Johnson for Associate AD - Fundraising!
Tim Chambers for New UNLV Baseball Coach!
Terry Koloskie for Director of Athletics Training at UNLV!
Tina Kunzer Murphy for Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director!
Danny Tarkanian for Nevada State Senator! He can get us the cash for the new On-Campus Football Stadium from the taxpayers.
Lloyd Daniels for Associate AD- Compliance.
Ed O'Bannon for Associate AD- Transfers.
Make it happen. :)
Haha that is the best post Ive ever seen you write Sufferin. So deep down inside you do have some positivity.
LJ FTW!
And Sufferin: I say keep Kruger but build a new on-campus stadium for sure!
To the powers that be: LISTEN TO THIS MAN.
He has always had the blueprint for SUCCESS when it comes to UNLV. We can RECLAIM what was ripped from us so long ago..Do NOT repeat the bad part of the past.
Coach, so glad to see you're writing again.
Tark,
That is a great idea to have Larry back at UNLV in fund raising or involved with the community... To bad that position just got filled by a lady who has no clue about athletics.
BTW - I doubt any of the other local candidates for AD have Larry on speed dial like Jerry Kloskie does...
I agree with everyone, so I'll bring a couple of new angles.
1 - That is some high praise from Tark...best player in the history of UNLV. We have seen some great teams and players come through this
University. For Tark to say that...WOW. I guess I had never thought of it.
2 - Sufferin's take was actually funny. I don't know what "praise" is more remarkeble. Tark saying LJ is the best player in UNLV history or me saying Sufferin' made a good comment.
3 - I randomly met George Ackles a couple of years back at the NV Business License Office accross from Cashman field. We had a short by entertaining conversation about the Rebels. I think he found my "idiot savant-ness" about the Rebels a tad bit creepy, but...who cares. He told me the University had never reached out to him or any other players to assist with the program in anyway. I think LK has changed this a bit since he has been th coach. I know he has reached out to former players like Anderson Hunt, Warren Rosegreen and the already mentioned LJ. I think this University has a deep stockpile of great assets for recruiting and bringing in cash. The players might know who Staceyn Augmon or LJ are, but they have youtube and you are darn sure their parents know who they are.
4 - I would love to see Randall be a part of the athletics department or assist with the Football team.
5 - It's good to hear Tark not talking about his health. We are glad to hear him talk about UNLV and basketball again. We're all glad you are feeling better.
6 - Rothermel is legendary.
7 - Fin
reagan, I hear what you're saying about Tark's health. We had a great long talk about a few items the other day, but his health and rehab are very major issues in his life right now. Will be for awhile. In the next Byte or two, don't be offended if he goes down the route. He has some tough challenges ahead, and he is not shy talking about that. You'll know how he's feeling, and the difficulties he's been experiencing. He has miles to go ... thanks
@ rebelz
They can very easily create a position for Larry Johnson.
Where do i start about Tark? Goodgrief, would someone at UNLV listen to Tark. Bring on Larry it's a no brainer. Tark we love you, give us more Shark Bytes Baby.
Should I even dare to hope that the powers-that-be might actually listen to this great man and bring LJ back to UNLV in some capacity?
I feel like it's too logical to ever happen at UNLV.
Please listen to Tark.
BRING GRANDMAMA TO UNLV!!!!
I think its time we start to campaign on behalf of LJ. I doubt either one of these guys actually reads their e-mails but I'm sure their secretaries can relay the message. It is time to make our voices heard. Tark & Rob did their parts already, now we have to take action. I already sent a link of this blog to both offices, just in case they have not seen it yet.
UNLV President: neal.smatresk@unlv.edu
Interim AD: jerry.koloskie@unlv.edu
E-mail, text, or call the local sports radio station and make this an issue.
e-mail: espnradio1100@gmail.com
text #: 63532
phone #: 876-1460
But most importantly continue to post your comments in support of Larry Johnson and any other alumni that would like to get involved with the program once again.
Sufferin, one can only dream. I don't know about Danny though.
Tark says that Larry is the best player ever to come through UNLV but he is by far my favorite player to come through the program.
I met Larry Johnson in 1989 the night after the Rebels beat Arizona in Vegas. He and Stacey came to a 'town hall' of sorts for questions, autographs and all around bliss for those in attendance. These guys were bigger than rock stars back then and to see them in person as a 12 year old was almost too surreal to describe. Absolute uphoria to a kid who idolized UNLV basketball as we all did back then. I bashfully asked for an autograph and, what seems now, a strange question. Realizing that I might not get this opportunity to meet him again. I asked him not to forget me.....and he smiled, put his arm around me and said "I won't because nobody has ever asked me that before".
I didn't realize how stupid it was going to sound until I asked it, I was embarrassed. But he didn't laugh at me and blow it off like some would have. I ran home and told my dad that I got to meet Larry Johnson and that he put his arm around me.
He was jealous, Larry was his hero too.
I think that it goes without saying that we would ALL love to have LJ back in the program exciting the community.
Tark should be the next AD and Larry his assistant.
Man, I'm sick to death of UNLV administration screwing up what was once an elite athletic program. If Smatresk thinks he's gonna juice his buddy Frazier in I'll bury both of them. It's a big desert.
I'm j/k of course. Never the less Smatresk better watch his back if he pulls this BS. The new AD should come from those existing LOCAL candidates not some fn idiot that's always screwed up other school's programs.