Snyder’s hiring raises coaching questions

Steve Guiremand

Friday, April 26, 2002 | 10:20 a.m.

Let the speculation begin.

UNLV announced on Thursday that the new color analyst for Rebel football radio broadcasts this fall will be longtime college head coach Bruce Snyder.

Snyder, 62, will join second year play-by-play voice Tim Neverett in the booth. He replaces longtime Rebel announcer Tony Cordasco.

"I'm very excited about it," Snyder said from his home in Tempe, Ariz. "When the opportunity came up to do this, it made sense. It's easy travel. I've known John (Robinson) for about 40 years. And I recruited some of those players, like Jason Thomas, on the UNLV team."

Snyder was the 1996 national coach of the year after directing Arizona State to an 11-0 regular season record and a narrow Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. He has spent 14 of the past 15 years as a head coach in the Pac-10. He also guided Cal to a 10-2 record and No. 8 national ranking in 1991 where he earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in 1990.

Considering his longtime friendship with Robinson, which dates to the 1960's when both were assistant coaches at the University of Oregon, there has already been speculation Snyder would be a strong candidate to take over when/if Robinson decides to retire from coaching and concentrate on his newly acquired athletic director duties.

"I think he still has a lot of miles left," Snyder said of Robinson, who turns 67 in July. "And he loves coaching, too. I think that's a long ways away."

"He's much too old," Robinson joked. "Nah, I haven't thought about that. I think he's a very good football coach. If I were looking for a coach, he would be one of my first candidates. I think if I was an athletic director at any school in the country, he would be one of my first candidates. But there are no plans."

Snyder, who got a strong push from some Cal alumni to return to Berkeley last fall when Tom Holmoe was fired, hasn't ruled out coaching again. He was replaced by Dirk Koetter at Arizona State following the 2000 season.

"I know I'm not done working," Snyder said when asked if he would coach again. "I'm not trying to dodge your question. But it would have to be under the right circumstances and for the right athletic director, someone who I like and who will support you.

"We'll see. Maybe I'll make a career out of this media thing. I thought my first year (in 2001 as color analyst on a national radio game of the week) went well. Or maybe I could go into athletic administration. I think I can help in that area, too."

UNLV opens its season Aug. 31 against Wisconsin at Sam Boyd Stadium.