Rebels hire baseball coach

Victoria Sun

Friday, July 6, 2001 | 11:10 a.m.

Tulane associate baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is expected to accept the UNLV head baseball coaching position today.

Sources close to Schlossnagle said Thursday he planned to make it official this afternoon.

Schlossnagle had an interview with UNLV associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie and the school's baseball hiring committee on Tuesday, but refused to comment on whether he had been offered the job.

"It was a great visit," Schlossnagle said. "It's obvious that UNLV wants to be good in baseball.

"They have outstanding tradition in the sport. I think UNLV baseball is a sleeping giant. Hopefully I can lead the way."

The job became available when former coach Rod Soesbe was informed on May 21 that his contract would not be renewed.

For the past nine years, Schlossnagle has served as Tulane's associate head coach and for the last five years, as its recruiting coordinator. Three of his recruiting classes were nationally ranked during that time, highlighted by 1999 national freshman of the year James Jurries, 1999 freshman All-America selection Jake Gautreau and 1999 All-America relief pitcher Brandon Belanger.

Schlossnagle, a former pitcher for Elon College in North Carolina, was also the Green Wave's pitching coach.

The January 2001 issue of Baseball America named him one of 10 assistant coaches who "looked like one of the best candidates to take a head coaching position with a major program," and Sports Illustrated ranked Tulane's 2000 pitching staff in the top five among Division I schools.

The Green Wave advanced to the College World Series for the first time in school history in May before being eliminated by Cal State Fullerton. Tulane, well known for its academics as well as its athletics, was the Conference USA champion and finished an impressive 56-13.

When Schlossnagle joined the school in 1993, the baseball program wasn't as strong as it is today. Since he has been at Tulane it has won six conference championships and six NCAA regionals. The Green Wave garnered a No. 5 ranking by Baseball America this year. Schlossnagle said the same progress could be made at UNLV.

"It's what I think could be a 'do-over,' similar to what we've been able to accomplish at Tulane by turning things around," Schlossnagle said. "Las Vegas is a destination city, outstanding with weather, no major league baseball or NBA basketball to compete with.

"There's no reason why it can't compete for the national championship. What the timetable is, I don't know. It took eight years at Tulane. I think UNLV is a place that can be better quickly and it should be, in a four- to five-year period, a national player."

Schlossnagle said that recruiting local high school students will be important for UNLV's success.

"If I'm offered the job, our first goal will be to sign every good player in Las Vegas that fills our needs," he said. "We'll stay in Nevada and after that hit the four corner states, especially California.

"Our goal is to be first and foremost to sign the best players in the city no matter where they are from. Hopefully, I can get both (CCSN coach Tim) Chambers and the high school coaches in Las Vegas to feel like they're a part of this thing."

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