Columnist Dean Juipe: Cavagnaro failed as fund-raiser

Dean Juipe

Monday, June 25, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Every good schmoozer has the ability to say to an acquaintance, "Let's sidle up to the bar" and then steer the conversation toward a specific goal.

It's a natural ability -- one that has nothing to do with drinking or alcohol per se -- and you've either got it or you don't.

But for those involved in raising money or procuring assistance for a particular cause, it would seem to be a characteristic that must be mastered.

The trouble with Charlie Cavagnaro is that he didn't pass charm school and he doesn't come across as someone who is comfortable when interacting with business associates. As such, he has had a difficult time generating interest and raising money for UNLV in his role as athletic director.

A man (or woman) in those shoes needs to not only appear relaxed but be relaxed in social settings, and Cavagnaro -- from all accounts -- is not.

He is neither John Robinson nor Charlie Spoonhour, and UNLV has suffered as a result.

Robinson, the Rebels' football coach, and Spoonhour, the basketball coach, have an easygoing side to them that plays well with boosters and university supporters. They're both pleasant and glib, and able to tell a joke or be the butt of one if it brings a laugh.

Cavagnaro, who officially resigns next year after a deal struck last week, does not have these after-dinner qualities. He's more like a banker; if you want to leave your money with him, that's fine, but it's no big deal if you don't.

UNLV, however, needs a smooth talker as its next A.D., as the stiff approach simply is not working.

If Robinson were inclined, he would be ideal. But, chances are, he's not ready to relinquish his coaching duties, what with his program on the verge of a stunning turnaround.

Likewise, Spoonhour is just getting started with the Rebel basketball team and has his priorities aligned accordingly.

They -- like every head coach at the university -- have some fund-raising responsibilities, if for no other reason than to fill in the financial gaps in their programs. But in this day and age it's the athletic director who is charged with the bulk of the fund-raising activities, at least in terms of oversight and direction.

The A.D. has to be able to pitch ideas to businessmen and community leaders and get those items that need to be done, done. There's an art to making the prospective donor feel welcome and appreciated, and it's an art Cavagnaro may have ignored or delegated to someone else.

For all of UNLV's physical additions to its athletic complex in recent years, the various head coaches say money is hard to come by (and much of what has been raised they did on their own). It hasn't helped that Cavagnaro is something of an absent leader, rarely seen as a spectator at any of the minor sports.

Take note the next time you hear a coach or administrator refer to UNLV as a "diamond in the rough," which happens with some frequency. It's as if there's a great and untapped potential for a rising school in a vibrant city with endless wealth.

Cavagnaro largely failed to connect with that potential.

His successor, however, cannot.