Dennis fired by UNLV

Steve Guiremand

Friday, June 21, 2002 | 9:55 a.m.

It was just two years ago that Karen Dennis was the head coach of the U.S. Olympic women's track and field team in Sydney, Australia.

Today, the longtime UNLV women's track and field coach surprisingly is looking for a new college coaching job.

Dennis, who produced 27 All-Americans and two Olympians since becoming head coach of the Lady Rebels in 1992, has been informed by the school that her contract will not be renewed effective June 30.

Dennis was told of the decision by new UNLV athletic director John Robinson and associate athletics director/senior woman administrator Lisa Kelleher during a meeting last week.

"I was baffled," said Dennis, who is in Palo Alto, Calif., this weekend coaching UNLV freshman middle distance runner Tiffany Sims-McCray in the Junior Nationals. "I don't know why my contract was not renewed. I was never given a reason. The meeting was brief. They just told me my contract was not being renewed. I was very surprised."

"We just decided that we were going to go in a different direction," Robinson said. "Her contract was up, so the timing was right to go that new direction."

Robinson said he hoped to have a new women's track and field/cross country coach by Aug. 1.

Several UNLV athletic department sources told the Sun that there had been friction between Dennis and her coaching staff in recent years and that some of her athletes felt she directed most of her coaching attention to a select few performers.

"I don't want to comment on any of that," Robinson said. "We just decided to go another direction. We wish Coach Dennis the best in the future."

UNLV finished 45th in the most recent NCAA Track and Field championships in Baton Rouge, La., in which 400-meter runners Michele Davis and Nickeisha Charles earned All-American honors with top eight finishes.

The Lady Rebels finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2002. UNLV had 78 team points in the outdoor championships which placed the Rebels just ahead of Wyoming (75) but well behind conference champion BYU (193.50), runner-up Colorado State (147.33) and third-place San Diego State (119.33).

"I know that I didn't break any (NCAA) rules," Dennis said. "And I know we were in the process of rebounding in recruiting from my taking two years to coach the Olympic team.

"I don't believe this decision is performance based. I'm baffled."