Sanford starts to work on staff

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.

The pieces are starting to fall into place for new UNLV football coach Mike Sanford's staff.

Utah defensive ends coach Kurt Barber, a second-round pick of the Jets in 1992 after a successful career at Southern Cal, was expected to arrive in town on Tuesday night. What defensive coaching position on the staff he will fill had yet to be determined.

Also, a source told the Sun that Northern Arizona offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Gary Bernardi is expected to join the staff by the end of the week.

Bernardi, who coached with Sanford at USC (1987-92), is expected to be the team's recruiting coordinator and also coach tight ends and tackles, a position he held for 10 years at UCLA (1994-2003).

Bernardi has long been considered one of the top recruiters in the Pac-10, dating back to his days as an assistant for Larry Smith at Arizona (1980-86). While at USC, he won a bitter recruiting battle for Junior Seau against UCLA that didn't end until a week after national letter of intent day.

Bernardi has strong recruiting ties in Southern California in the talent-rich San Fernando Valley area, as well as in Arizona. While at UCLA, he coached tight end Mike Seidman, a Mackey Award finalist who is now playing for the Carolina Panthers.

Randall Cunningham previously accomplished the feat as both a punter and quarterback in 1983-84. Defensive lineman Joe Ingersoll (1974-75) and running back Mike Thomas (1973-74) were both two-time Little All-Americans before the school moved up to Division I-A in 1978.