Longtime Rebel administrator Jerry Koloskie gone from UNLV

By Taylor Bern

Published Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 | 12:34 p.m.

Updated Friday, Jan. 17, 2014 | 10:22 a.m.

Jerry Koloskie started at UNLV in 1982 as a co-head athletic trainer. Thirty-one years and several job titles later, including a stint as interim athletic director, he’s gone.

Koloskie’s last day at UNLV was Thursday, about six months after a title change and 20 percent salary cut. Athletic Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy released a statement to the Sun, but there was no official university release.

“I accepted Jerry's resignation from his position as senior associate athletics director last week,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “He served in many roles at UNLV and was a big part of this place for more than three decades. We wish him nothing but the best.”

Koloskie declined to comment when reached by the Sun. He worked his way up the through the athletics department, eventually holding the title of deputy director of athletics. In 2009, he was picked to lead the program from the time Mike Hamrick left for Marshall University until Jim Livengood was hired. After that, Koloskie returned to his deputy post.

Last summer, while she was still the interim athletic director, Kunzer-Murphy helped reorganize the athletics department. That included a new organizational chart detailing the hierarchy of each department and also title changes with some salary cuts.

Kunzer-Murphy said at the time no one was getting fired and the salary cuts would not be limited to a select few. However, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Sun has learned several administrators’ titles were changed but only four received salary cuts: Koloskie, Director of Football Operations Terry Cottle, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Andy Grossman and former Rebel Athletic Fund leader Julio Freire. The cuts totaled $73,270, with the bulk coming from Koloskie, whose salary went from $194,000 to $155,000.

Two of those four employees are now gone.

Freire left in October with a similar absence of fanfare. Originally a Livengood hire, Freire was introduced on Tuesday as the new athletic director at Tennessee-Martin. UNLV replaced him with former Rebel student-athlete and women’s soccer coach Dan Abdalla.

Most recently, Koloskie was in charge of putting together the travel budget for UNLV's trip to the Heart of Dallas Bowl but did not make the trip himself.

Kunzer-Murphy said she hoped a search for Koloskie’s replacement would begin in the next two weeks. The new position will be closer to an associate position, she said.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.