Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Duly Noted

In 1986, when he was elevated to UNLV head football coach after guiding the Rebels to an upset victory over Wisconsin of the Big Ten, Wayne Nunnely became the fifth black head coach at the NCAA Division I-A level.

In 2005 there were three.

Do the math: Nineteen years, minus two black head coaches. The NCAA has a much bigger problem than George O'Leary fudging on his resume.

Meanwhile, in the 17 years since Art Shell became the the NFL's first black head coach, there are a record six this season. Three (Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith and Marvin Lewis) are coach of the year candidates. It is likely that for the first time there will be a black head coach in the Super Bowl.

As for Nunnely, as I've said many times, UNLV did him a favor by firing him. He's now in his ninth year as the San Diego Chargers' defensive line coach.

SPANISH INQUISITION

What the NCAA needs is more forward thinkers such as Kevin Anderson, the athletic director at Army. When he was at Oregon State, Anderson reached out to the Hispanic community by putting Beavers games on the radio in Spanish. He's done the same at Army, where "los Caballeros Negros del Hudson" -- the Black Knights of the Hudson -- are broadcast on a New York City AM station.

With Las Vegas' Hispanic population growing by leaps and bounds -- it's now about 20 percent of the total population -- UNLV might want to consider a similar arrangement with one of the local Spanish-language stations.

I'll just bet the Rebels could cultivate a bunch of new fans for kicker Sergio Aguayo, if they'd only let an untapped audience know where he has been splitting the uprights.

GIVING THE THUMB

On Tuesday night seven-time world champion team roper Jake Barnes had his thumb amputated when it got caught and was severed by his rope during the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

He was officially listed as "doubtful" on the NFR injury report.

A couple of years ago, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa went on the 15-day disabled list when he was injured while sneezing.

MULLIGANS

In an item in Wednesday's "Elevator" feature I mentioned that Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins fought at the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday night. That would have hard to do with all those bulls and bucking broncs getting in the way of the judges. The site of the fight was actually Mandalay Bay.

2.7

The NFL yards-per-rush record set by the San Diego Chargers' defense in 1998 with former UNLV head coach Wayne Nunnely as defensive line coach.

17,000

The number of seats in the Richard Petty Terrace going up in Turn 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

28

Utah's number of offensive rebounds in a win against Rice, tying UNLV's Mountain West record set against Auburn last year.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman:

"I would rather have a player bet on their team than take steroids."

During an appearance on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" Wednesday.

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