Rebel coach almost leapt to Wildcats

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

Rob Boras knew he'd be coaching on the sidelines at Arizona Stadium on Saturday night. But for a while last winter, he just didn't know which side.

The architect of an offensive line that helped UNLV average 227.8 yards rushing per game in 2000, the 30-year-old Boras was asked by Arizona head coach John Mackovic to become that school's offensive line coach last December.

For Boras, it would have been a chance to move to a Pac-10 school with some of the best facilites in the conference. It also was an opportunity to work again for the man who gave him his big break in college coaching.

Mackovic gave Boras his first full-time Division I coaching job at the University of Texas in 1995 at the age of just 24. He coached tight ends and offensive line with the Longhorns for three years.

"That was one of the things that made it so hard," Boras said. "(Mackovic) was so instrumental in the building of my career. And then there was the allure of the Pac-10. But having John Robinson here and being in a program that's going where we're going ...

"I knew deep down what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay. I don't think there is anybody in the nation who is better to work for than Coach Robinson."

Still, Boras admitted he did teeter for a couple of days.

"I was out on the road recruiting when it was all going on," Boras said. "One minute you want to go, the next you don't. I talked to everybody that I knew and respected to get their opinions. When I told (Mackovic) no, he was great. He understood."

Robinson also gave Boras the valuable title of offensive coordinator at the age of 30 (he turns 31 on Sept. 30), making him the third-youngest coordinator on either side of the ball in Division I.

"That actually was in the plans before that," Boras said. "Regardless of that, we're in a great situation now. That helped, but it wasn't the deciding factor."

"He's the offensive coordinator but not in the typical way," Robinson said. "He's growing into that role. What we kind of agreed is that he manages (the offense). He gets everybody together and has his points. But I'm the guy who is putting the offense together. It's more shared now than it's been. (Running backs coach) John Jackson has a great deal to do with it. (Tight ends coach) Kenny Niumatalolo does too. But I'm the guy that's still doing it in terms of leadership and play-calling. Rob ... will gradually take over the whole picture."

In his 24 seasons as a college and NFL head coach, Robinson has had only two other offensive line coaches. One of them, Hudson Houck, is generally regarded as the best in the NFL while the other, Mike Barry, is now at Tennessee and has molded offensive lines that won national championships at Colorado and in Knoxville.

So Boras finds himself in some pretty elite company.

"I think Rob has a great future in coaching," Robinson said. "He's extremely bright and has a knowledge of offensive football. I think he has the personality and intellect to go far in coaching."

Boras said he is more concerned with helping the Rebels (0-2) pick up their first victory of the season than showing Mackovic he made the right decision in staying at UNLV.

"He's not playing against me, I'm not playing against him," Boras said. "I can't say I want to win this game any more than any other. (Mackovic) was always good to me and my family. And he's a good football coach. (But) Arizona's defense is going to be tough for us. And that's where my focus has been."