Las Vegas Sun

May 15, 2008

Beyond numbers and into the unquantifiable

Ron Kantowski offers a different take on Mike Hamrick, noting he doesn’t work well with others

Fri, May 9, 2008 (2 a.m.)

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  • Mike Hamrick, UNLV athletic director, on the criticism that goes with his position.
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  • Hamrick on the backlash of hiring basketball coach Lon Kruger.
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  • Hamrick on if another two-win football season will be acceptable this fall.
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Sun Archives

Beyond the Sun

When Mike Hamrick resigned as athletic director at East Carolina five years ago to accept the same job at UNLV, the sportswriter who covers the Pirates for the Charlotte Observer said Hamrick would most likely be remembered as an effective administrator who could have used a course in public relations.

If you don’t think raising a ton of money is a prerequisite for becoming an effective administrator, maybe a similar argument could be made for him here.

A story in Thursday’s Sun looked at Hamrick’s first five years on the job, with the focus on grade-point averages, fundraising, his hiring practices, the basketball program’s resurgence, the football program’s futility, and success in lower-profile sports. It was an objective report, but it did not address how Hamrick interacts with others, because that’s much more subjective and harder to quantify.

It also might be his biggest negative.

Hamrick is like a bad masseuse. He rubs people the wrong way. He’s eraser head. Talk to him for any length of time, and you wind up with a hole in your paper and little rubber shavings on your loafers.

Jim Rogers, the university system chancellor, doesn’t think Hamrick raises nearly enough money. The two don’t see eye to eye on other things, and there are official-looking memos in people’s files to prove it.

Rogers recently told me Hamrick is “stubborn” and “inflexible.”

Hamrick says he gets along fine with others, because besides Rogers and couple of regents and maybe three or four coaches he has fired and a couple of idiots who call themselves sportswriters, name somebody who has a problem with him.

Show me an employee willing to speak out against his boss and I’ll show you Fred Dallimore, the former UNLV baseball coach. And maybe Kobe Bryant. But if off-the-record quotes from coaches and other athletic department personnel were $20 bills, I could write a check to the Rebel Athletic Fund that would get Mr. Rogers off Mr. Hamrick’s case, at least for a little while.

Maybe being an athletic director is like being an umpire. Or a sportswriter. Maybe it’s one of those thankless jobs where you hear from people only when you screw up.

Hamrick’s predecessors were Charlie Cavagnaro and Jim Weaver. They were like umpires, too. But before them, Brad Rothermel was athletic director. He never missed a pitch on the outside corner. He was so revered that UNLV still has him on the payroll.

Rothermel was the guy who gave Hamrick his start in athletic administration. Gave him a job in athletic promotions in 1981. OK, so Super Brad, which is what the media called him, might have missed one after all.

But I can understand how that would happen. I used to get along with Hamrick, too. I even wrote a couple of nice things about him. That’s when the phone calls began. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid, they said. And by all means, don’t let him pour it in your ear and tell you it’s raining.

Hamrick even used to say nice things about UNLV coaches he didn’t hire. He spoke highly of Regina Miller, the UNLV women’s basketball coach, and was effusive in praising Mark Philippi, the UNLV strength coach, because he was The World’s Strongest Man, and that impressed his teenage sons a lot more than John Robinson winning a few Rose Bowls.

But when the Rebels couldn’t block or tackle anybody, first-year coach Mike Sanford held Philippi responsible and had him fired. That’s a head coach’s prerogative. But when Miller wanted to do the same thing to one of her peripheral assistants, Hamrick wouldn’t hear of it. Worse, according to sources, he allowed the assistant to turn some of the players against Miller.

After inheriting a program that had won just four games in the three years before her arrival, Miller guided the Lady Rebels to eight consecutive winning seasons and one 14-15 campaign. This year’s team was awful, finishing 8-22, but when people who are supposed to be on your side are causing trouble between the point guard and the power forward, it’s a wonder UNLV won even eight games.

In the end, the assistant kept her job. Miller did not. Life goes on and so do her paychecks, because she had a year remaining on her contract. Never mind that budget crunch, Mike. You can always ask the swimming team to trim another 4 1/2 percent from its budget or tell Daren Libonati to book another Springsteen concert at the Thomas & Mack Center to pay off your women’s basketball coach.

Maybe this wasn’t exactly the same thing as Bob Maxson, the former UNLV president, installing secret cameras in the rafters of the practice gym in the hope of catching Jerry Tarkanian, his basketball coach, breaking an NCAA rule so he could run him out of town. But it’s in the same ballpark.

It’s not the way you are supposed to treat people.

Now Regina Miller has little rubber shavings on her shoes, too.

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

  1. By RaleighPirate
    5/9/08 at 6:19 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I hate to tell anyone in Las Vegas I told you so because I didn't but this sounds like some of the same stuff we suffered through in Greenville. In my opinion Mike Hamrick was the worst hire ECU ever made. Good Ridance! We are still recovering from his tenure here.

    RP

  2. By edbo20
    5/9/08 at 6:52 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Hamrick was the worst thing to ever happen to ECU sports. I feel sorry for the people at UNLV. Eventually, you will recover and move forward. Thank goodness he's gone.

  3. By seabound
    5/9/08 at 7:12 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    At ECU, Hamrick was so polarizing that it spread to the fans. Given that North Carolina has 5 Bowl S/D programs and ECU must kick and gouge for every scrap at the table, that Hamrick would incur the wrath of the state's most loyal fan base underscores how awful he really was. Since leaving for Las Vegas in '03, I am struck by how remarkably average UNLV sports still is. Perhaps someone else will offer him and UNLV can attain national prominence. Good Luck.

  4. By wakepirate
    5/9/08 at 7:16 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I see old "Hammy" is up to his same tricks in Las Vegas. He is willing to take all the credit for things that go well...and none of the blame for stuff that fails.HE is the reason we lost the best football coach , Steve Logan we ever had at ECU. Hammy realize that Logan had more power and influence with the students and alumni then he did, so Hammy began to stab Logan in the back. First scheduling a Friday night game to conflict with the high school games without Coach Logan's approval, therefore it created a bunch of pissed off high school coachs and AD'S that threaten to ban Logan and his staff from recruiting on their campus. Hammy threw Logan under the bus to get the heat off of him. His aim was to hurt our recruiting and set Logan up to lose, thus giving him a reason to fire him.
    Second, my cousin and some loyal local supporters in Greenville started a fundraiser to coincide with the spring football game called the Purple/Gold Pigskin Cookoff, a BBQ cooking contest that takes place the morning of the spring game.All the money through entry fees and plates sold goes to the Pirate Club. After it was a huge success, guess who is on TV taking all the credit for this "unique and fun event for all Pirate fans" good old Hammy. He never mention the others who actually put it together and did all the work. HE is a first class A-Hole and I feel sorry for the people who have to work for him at UNLV. By the way, does he still mooch off of the local deli's and sandwich shops for free lunchs for him and his family with the empty promise of tickets to a game? He did that crap all of the time when he was in Greenville.Thank God that cancer has left Greenville.

  5. By jmercer
    5/9/08 at 3:11 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    As a long time UNLV athletics supporter, I praise the job Hamrick is doing. UNLV basketball is back on the national map thanks to him and there have been no major problems with the NCAA. Thank you Hamrick for running a clean program with class.

    J Mercer

  6. By twelch53
    5/9/08 at 5:12 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    WOW! what a ridiculous article. Anytime I see Mike or his family they are the nicest people in the world. GET OVER Regina Miller. She was a bad coach and everybody knows it

  7. By coors69
    5/9/08 at 5:53 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    What’s the matter Kantowski? Did Mike Hamrick not return one of your phone calls? What's your proof that he's not a good communicator? Jim Rogers and a some misinformed individuals that you won't name. Now you’re bitter so you’re trying to bring the guy down. Were things really that bad at ECU? Does anybody really care about ECU? Were they a powerhouse in athletics and Mike Hamrick destroyed them? I don’t remember ECU challenging for a national championship in anything before or after Mike was there. I don’t believe that the people posting these comments even have any affiliation with the school whatsoever. They are just "Hamrick Haters." His fundraising skills may not be #1 in the country, but look what he’s had to work with. UNLV was a school with a bad reputation that has been greatly improved since he has been here. Did he hire the basketball coach that slept with strippers and was an alcoholic (and alleged drug abuser). I’ve been a longtime supporter (student, graduate, donor, & die-hard fan) of this program (except when Rollie “Polly” Massamino was hired) since 1979. How long have you lived in this town? How much do you really know about UNLV and it’s history? You’re whole article is “hearsay” and “he said, she said.” You sound like a woman scorned. I’m getting tired of this bashing. Why don’t you go right about something important, like Tony Romo & Jessica Simpson.

  8. By btallen
    5/9/08 at 9:12 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    he left five years ago and ecu fans still hate on him, that is some extreme hating...what a bunch of lowlifes. who is ecu? if unlv sports is average then ecu must be way below average. leave the man alone!

  9. By ksiffermann
    5/10/08 at 9:38 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Who is ECU? UNLV basketball is back on the map, this is what put UNLV on the map. Great job Mike. Stick to your beliefs, thats why UNLV pays you to make the tough decsions. Look what coach Kruger has done for the program. Keep up the good work.

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Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence

With special guest Randy Houser ( House of Blues)