Regents to vote on Robinson as A.D.

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001 | 3:30 a.m.

At the Aug. 16-17 State Board of Regents meeting in Reno, UNLV president Dr. Carol Harter will request board approval of the following measures:

It took only two years for John Robinson to transform UNLV's winless football program into one of the top-rated ones on the West Coast. Now the question is how long will it take until he can perform the same magic on the school's entire athletic department?

As first reported in the Sun, Robinson appears headed for the dual role of head football coach/athletic director at UNLV.

UNLV president Dr. Carol Harter will ask the State Board of Regents to waive a state bylaw precluding head coaches from simultaneously serving as athletic director and install Robinson as Charles Cavagnaro's replacement effective Jan. 1, 2002. The Regents are scheduled to vote on the matter during their Aug. 16-17 meeting in Reno.

"I think he will be approved," Las Vegas Regent Mark Alden said. "I told him (Wednesday night) that I would vote for him if he told me he wanted the job. He told me, 'Mark, I want to do it and I know I can do a good job.' "

Six of the nine Regents scheduled to attend must approve the measure. Two Regents, Steve Sisolak of Las Vegas and Dr. Jill Derby of Gardnerville, will miss the session.

"I think he has the votes now," Alden said. "I haven't lobbied for him or anything, but I think it will pass."

One potential obstacle is University bylaw 10.4.4 which states that Harter must form a search committee with at least 12 voting members to aid in the search for a new A.D.

"I believe she could just waive that if she wants," Alden said.

Harter was not available for comment today.

Robinson, who left this morning for Canton, Ohio, where he will formally introduce his former Los Angeles Rams team captain Jackie Slater at Saturday's Hall of Fame ceremonies, said he planned to meet with Harter before the vote to iron out the details for the job.

"I'm not confirming that I have the job," Robinson said. "The Board of Regents' vote is certainly still an issue that has to be addressed. They have to approve it. And Dr. Harter and I have agreed to meet two or three more times before then to discuss the parameters it would take for me to do it.

"Financially, it's not an issue. I'm doing well now (Robinson makes $500,000 per year as head football coach). But it's organizational things that we need to discuss to make this work. The vision and leadership part of the job, there's no doubt in my mind I can do that. But we've got to make sure we have the proper structure in place to do what we need to do."

To that end, Robinson indicated that the duties of current senior associate athletics director Jerry Koloskie would be key.

"I think Jerry Koloskie can play a big role in that regard," Robinson said.

"(Robinson) will give us a philosophical direction and be the guy who can make the hard decisions," Alden said. "Jerry Koloskie could be the nuts and bolts guy. The local public needs to have confidence in the department. John Robinson brings that kind of confidence. And I think he's viewed as a local person now who wants to stay and retire here.

"Jerry Koloskie has been here 20 years and is viewed as a local guy. I think that is important when it comes to getting donations from the local community. (Cavagnaro) came from Memphis and was kind of viewed as an outsider."