New UNR president named

Jennifer Knight

Friday, April 20, 2001 | 10:40 a.m.

John Lilley, provost and chief executive officer of Penn State's college in Erie, Pa., was named Thursday by the Board of Regents as the new president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Lilley has held his position in Erie since 1980.

The vote for the 61-year-old Lilley was unanimous although there was contentious discussion of his annual salary of $199,000, a free car and a housing allowance of $18,000 a year -- a package that exceeds the pay of his boss, Chancellor Jane Nichols.

Regent Steve Sisolak said, "I've got a real problem with the way this compares to our other university president who has been here for quite some time."

With UNLV President Carol Harter and Richard Moore, president of the Nevada State College at Henderson, both attending Thursday's meeting, Sisolak pointed out that while he wants to attract good people, he also wants to "keep the ones he has at the table."

Regent Thalia Dondero, however, responded: "Well, what are you going to do when it comes to the coaches?"

On the same agenda, due to be discussed today, is a request to approve UNLV's two new coaches. John Robinson, the head football coach, will be getting an annual salary of $500,000 for five years, and Charles Spoonhour, the head basketball coach, is recommended to get $400,000 a year for three years.

Harter makes $186,000 a year with a $12,000 housing allowance. Chancellor Jane Nichols earns $195,000 a year with a $12,000 housing allowance. Moore makes $175,000 with the same housing allowance.

"When I realized I might have to go higher than my salary to attract this candidate, it put me in a difficult position," Nichols said.

Harter, who has 13 years of experience as a president and has been at UNLV for seven of those years, is up for review this summer and board members will take up the issue of disparity then.

"I'm going to trust that the board will come back to this issue and make an equitable decision," Harter said.

Nichols said they offered what they thought the market would bear.

Under Lilley's leadership, the Erie college doubled its enrollment to 3,800. Academically, admissions standards rose, the teaching loan was lessened and four schools with professionally accredited programs were developed.

"The Board has a very good history of hiring excellent presidents of our institutions and Dr. Lilley is no exception," Dondero said.

Lilley starts July 1 at UNR.