Columnist Ron Kantowski: It’s possible UNLV could let Hogan escape

Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2003 | 10:27 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

A couple of weeks ago, everybody was ready to rename the athletic director's office at UNLV "Stalag 13" in honor of Wayne Hogan, the Montana AD who was thought to have the inside track on the UNLV job after reportedly charming everybody he met during his interview a couple of weeks ago.

But it's possible we might have been misled by the early returns.

Apparently, some of the ballots that count most over on Maryland Parkway have developed hanging chads. And if they happen to fall off between now and Thursday, when UNLV president Dr. Carol Harter is expected to reveal the identity of the new AD at a Regents meeting in Reno, many of those votes could wind up going to Mike Hamrick, the somewhat embattled AD at East Carolina who interviewed here last week.

And that was before Idaho's Mike Bohn began his interrogation -- er, interview -- on Monday. So who really knows where things stand now?

But several UNLV sources contacted Monday thought the momentum might be switching toward Hamrick, who has been described as something of a lame duck at ECU.

And while many expressed "concern" over that development, Hamrick has the support of at least one of the higher-ups on the UNLV academic ladder.

"All three candidates are very capable," University regent Mark Alden said. "But (Mike Hamrick) is the diamond choice."

Alden said he was impressed upon learning of Hamrick's views on NCAA compliance (zero tolerance) and graduation rates (UNLV can do better) but thought Hamrick's experience in a major conference -- if you can call Conference USA one of those -- gives him the edge on Hogan and Bohn, who hail from small potatoes leagues (Sun Belt/Big West and Big Sky).

But a source said whereas Hogan seemed polished and said all the right things in informal meetings with coaches and other athletic department personnel, Hamrick by comparison seemed unprepared and at times came across like Charlie Cavagnaro, the former Rebels AD who was as popular around here as the guy who hits "17" on the blackjack table.

All I know is that based on the pro-Hogan people at UNLV that I've talked to, if Hamrick gets the nod, he had better be up to the challenge.

Because when a Hogan is available, you don't want to let him escape and be left with a Sgt. Schultz who knows nothing.

This time it was Sports Illustrated, which in ranking Colorado State No. 27 in its college football preview proclaimed that the Rams' Bradlee Van Pelt "is the WAC's best quarterback."

But that wasn't the magazine's only fumble.

In ranking UNLV No. 93, SI also asked "Who will replace showtiming (whatever that means) QB Jason Thomas?" Duh, that would be the same guy (Kurt Nantkes) who guided the Rebels to a shocking upset of CSU in last year's conference finale and has two years of eligibility remaining.

At least Ivan Maisel, in a piece for ESPN.com, helped the MWC to save a little face when he ranked its football coaches No. 6 among the 11 NCAA conferences -- ahead of the mighty Pac-10, I might add.

"You could take Air Force's Fisher DeBerry, Colorado State's Sonny Lubick, UNLV's John Robinson and five girls from the Wyoming chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma," Maisel wrote, "and have a league filled with great coaches."

And this is after LaVell Edwards retired to become a stadium up in Provo.

On that topic, the letter writer in Sunday's paper had better check his facts before extolling BYU and poking fun at Air Force. Since 1995, the Falcons have been to five bowl games (winning twice) while the Cougars have been to four (winning once).

Last year when the teams played in Provo, Air Force edged BYU 52-9.

Ratner is starting his 17th season as a college zebra while Tiefer was the guy throwing the holding flags at last year's Cotton Bowl. White is the brother of Las Vegan Lee White, one of Joe Namath's backfield mates with the Super Bowl Jets.

Ratner said he's proud of the fact that all three men worked their way into the college ranks after starting in the local Pop Warner league. He encouraged anybody interested in taking a similar path to contact him at the Nevada State Athletic Commission office (486-2575), because Southern Nevada needs football officials, especially at the high school level.

And finally, there was this excerpt from an Associated Press story summarizing the fate of Las Vegas resident Jimmy Vasser at Sunday's CART race in Ohio: "Vasser, who started 14th, got as high as fourth before losing his rear end ... "

I'll bet there are a lot of guys living here who don't drive racecars who can say the same thing.