News Flash: Waiting in Vegas
By Tom Dienhart, Yahoo! Sports Nov 24, 11:50 am EST
Don’t expect UNLV to move forward on its coaching search until it hires an athletic director.
The school’s search team is expected to make a recommendation to the university president on whom to hire as A.D. in early December. A decision is expected to be made quickly so the search for a replacement for Mike Sanford can begin in earnest.
Potential AD candidates are UCLA associate athletic director Ross Bjork and former Rebel coach John Robinson. Interim A.D. Jerry Koloskie also is in the mix.
Dodge done?
Todd Dodge may be coaching his last game at North Texas on Saturday at Arkansas State.
The Mean Green is 5-30 under Dodge, who is in his third season. North Texas A.D. Rick Villarreal said before the season started that he would evaluate the program when the campaign was finished.
“I really don’t know,” Dodge told the Denton Record-Chronicle when asked about his future. “I will sit down with coach Villarreal when the season is over with. At this point, I don’t know. He will let me know.”
North Texas celebrated the ground breaking of a new $78 million stadium last Saturday. The facility will seat 30,000, have 21 luxury suites and be designed by the same firm that schemed the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. The project is expected to be finished in 18 months.
The school might want a new coach to build momentum toward the new stadium.
Fleischer to work with BCS
Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, a sports P.R. company that works with MLB and NFL teams, recently was hired by new BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock to work with the BCS in hopes of expounding the virtues of college football’s controversial postseason system.
Fleischer is the former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush.
Youngstown slot
An early candidate for the Youngstown State job: Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini. Former Minnesota and Syracuse offensive coordinator and current Tennessee G.A. Mitch Browning also could get involved.
New Illini offense boss?
It looks more and more likely that Illinois will switch offensive coordinators, parting with Mike Schultz after just one season. Long-time college coach Noel Mazzone, who has been an offensive coordinator at Ole Miss, N.C. State, Oregon State and Auburn, could be a target. Former Eastern Michigan coach Jeff Genyk is another possibility.
Another possibility: Marc Trestman, who is the head coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. Prior to taking over Montreal in 2008, Trestman was offensive coordinator at N.C. State (2005-06).
