Robinson contract terms unveiled

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001 | 11:25 a.m.

RENO -- UNLV football coach John Robinson would be paid an additional $450,000 over a four-year period if he's approved as the school's new athletic director, according to a proposed contract submitted to Nevada's Board of Regents at today's meeting in Reno.

UNLV President Carol Harter said Robinson would be making less money than other Mountain West Conference athletic directors, whom she said are paid about $160,000 annually.

The regents were scheduled to vote today whether to waive a state rule that prohibits a head coach from also being athletic director. It appears the vote may be close as there at least three regents who say they are undecided.

Under the terms of the proposed contract, Robinson's salary would increase $75,000 in January of 2002, when he would take over for outgoing A.D. Charles Cavagnaro. He would receive another increase of $125,000 in January 2003, $125,000 in January 2004 and another $125,000 in January 2005. He makes about $500,000 annually as head football coach.

Prior to the meeting today, Harter said she hoped there would be widespread support from the regents for Robinson's appointment. Harter said one of Robinson's major jobs will be fund-raising for the athletic department. She called him a "healer" who brings "positive energy" to his job.

Three regents said today they are still undecided whether to support the appointment of Robinson.

Regent Dorothy Gallagher of Elko said she favors a delay of the vote until next month's meeting in Fallon while Regent chairman Thalia Dondero of Las Vegas said she wanted to hear the debate before deciding. Regent Doug Hill of Reno said there is "a big question whether the policy should be changed."

Regent Tom Kirkpatrick of Las Vegas appears to be the only regent dead-set against Robinson doing both jobs. Regent Mark Alden is also on record saying he would vote against the proposal, but university officials said he would not attend today's meeting, joining Steve Sisolak as an absentee.

Based on comments made to the Sun and others this week, regents Jill Derby of Gardnerville, Howard Rosenberg of Reno, Doug Seastrand of Las Vegas and Linda Howard of Las Vegas are in Robinson's corner. Tom Wiesner, a major booster of the UNLV football program, also was expected to vote in favor of Robinson.

A majority of six votes are required to waive the so-called "Chris Ault Rule," the Board of Regents bylaw that precludes one person from being head coach and athletic director at the same time.

According to Section 17 of the bylaws "To assist in assuring institutional control over intercollegiate athletics programs, member institutions shall not make new joint appointments to the positions of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and coach of an intercollegiate sports program."

The bylaw was passed in May of 1990 in response to Ault's tenure as athletic director/head football coach at Nevada-Reno.

Robinson headed to Reno this morning to address the regents, confident he had their support.

"The title isn't what's important," Robinson said following practice Wednesday night. "I just want to be a guy who is part of this athletic department that's going to help make things work. It's an opportunity to do some stuff here."

If Robinson does get approved, he said he wouldn't make a lot of wholesale changes in the athletic department.

"I don't want to hire a bunch of people," he said. "I do think we want to hire a fund-raiser. I just want to re-energize everybody and change the culture here.

"You know, we've done some good things here," Robinson said, nodding to UNLV's palm tree-lined practice surroundings which dwarf his old stamping grounds at USC's cramped Howard Jones Field. "It's a pretty nice place. My twist will be improving the lot of the athletes, helping them academically more and just making this a great place for a kid to come to school."

Robinson would become just the second dual head coach/athletic director in NCAA Division I, joining Joe Hollis of Arkansas State.

That fact has Regent Kirkpatrick of Las Vegas wary that one man is capable of performing both jobs.

Kirkpatrick said he spoke with three former Division I athletic directors -- Ault, former UNLV A.D. Brad Rothermel and the University of Tennessee's Doug Dickey, before drawing that conclusion.

"I talked to Brad Rothermel about it and he said there were weeks when he worked 90 hours," Kirkpatrick said. "He said there was just no way a person could do both jobs effectively. He also brought up the point that there are 115 Division I football schools and only one, Arkansas State, has a football coach who is also the A.D.

"I certainly don't want UNLV to be modeled after Arkansas State."

Sun football writer Steve Guiremand contributed to this story.