Why UNLV is the Best College Football Opening for a Head Coach
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The flash, money, and grandeur of a Power 5 opportunity awaits several coaches in the college football ranks in the coming days, but of all the high-profile jobs available which is the best? Would you believe UNLV might be the best landing spot in the country for a head coach?
While the national media promotes the highly coveted openings and potential candidates at programs like Florida State, Arkansas, Missouri, and Boston College, the Group of 5 positions at a school like UNLV is widely passed over. For that top coordinator or current head coach looking to make a change and a name for himself, the following are some of the reasons why UNLV is a better job than the open SEC and ACC positions.
Becoming Immortal to a Fan Base
UNLV’s football program began in 1978 climbing the ranks as an independent through the PCAA, Big West, Western Athletic Conference, and to the Mountain West. Since their inclusion into the WAC in 1996 and on into the MWC in 1999, the Rebels have had two winning seasons; an 8-5 run in 2000 under former USC head coach John Robinson and a 7-6 campaign in 2013 with Bobby Hauck. Since Robinson hung up the whistle in 2004, Mike Sanford, Bobby Hauck, and Tony Sanchez have tried their best to bring a consistent winner to the city of Las Vegas but to no avail.
With all due respects to “Title Town” and Tuscaloosa, there is no city in the U.S. geared around being a winner like Las Vegas, and for obvious reasons. With that notion, the town and state are desperate to rally around a winning program. That head coach who can come in and bring a consistent winner to the fans will be beloved. A statue awaits someone in Vegas, a person ready to set their own legacy without walking in the footsteps of a legend.
Centralized Recruiting Hotspot
A four-hour drive or a 45-minute plane ride takes one from Los Angeles to Vegas giving access to one of the best recruiting spots in the nation. Recruits can hop in the car in under five hours from Bakersfield (CA) or Phoenix (AZ) and in about six hours from Fresno (CA) or Salt Lake City (UT). Beyond the four to six-hour car ride, no other city in the U.S. is seemingly as accessible from any other part of the country by plane than Vegas, and most of the flights are relatively dirt cheap. One of the biggest aspects to recruiting is getting the prospects on campus so they can see for themselves what a program has to offer, and UNLV now has a lot to offer.
The Raiders
From now until the end of time, perspective UNLV recruits will learn a lot about the Raiders once they complete their move from Oakland. The duo will share Allegiant Stadium, a $1.8 billion project set to complete by June 2020. Whoever gets the head coaching job will be well-served to see how the Pitt Panthers utilize their working relationship with the Pittsburg Steelers in day to day activities and along the recruiting trail. This is a rare opportunity for college kids to directly see how the pros do it and learn from the best of the best.
Allegiant Stadium
The renderings of what Allegiant Stadium has to offer has been so impressive, and the ease as to which to get to Las Vegas, has prompted the Pac-12 to move their 2020 and 2021 Championship Game to Allegiant Stadium. Consider that for a moment; there is no Pac-12 presence in Nevada yet the stadium, city, ease of travel, and centralized location has directed a move from Levi Stadium to the Vegas Strip. Other programs can brag about crowd size, but none have a brand-new stadium that partners with an NFL squad.
The MWC Competition
Since TCU, BYU, and Utah left the MWC, the West Division has been controlled by Fresno State and San Diego State and the Mountain largely by Boise State. Knowing the competition, whoever the top team may be in the MWC in a given year, they are beatable meaning division titles and championship game appearances are within reach. Given all that Vegas has to offer and what UNLV, the school and program will have to offer, pulling in top recruits to compete against the best of the best in-conference is achievable. The new UNLV coach does not have to figure out how to take down the likes of Clemson, Alabama, LSU or Oklahoma – wins are there to be had.
Small Town-Big Town Feel
Going along the Vegas Strip, there is nothing else like it in the U.S. There is entertainment of all styles on every corner, amazing shows to be seen, and some of the best food in the nation. Go a couple of miles away from the bright lights and crowded streets, the town of 600,000-plus has a small town/suburban feel to it. Vegas is the best of both worlds seeking entertainment and a community feel.
Money
The purse strings have been tight over the years at UNLV when shelling out dollars for head coaches, as former head coach Tony Sanchez was making $600,000-plus per year. But, with a new stadium and a new approach comes a willingness to spend. UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois has committed to paying on par with other top Mountain West coaching salaries putting the range up to $1.5 million. Hungry coordinators ready for a pay raise will find this a lucrative opportunity, and winning begets bigger contract extensions. Conference titles and bowl games and a willingness to keep a program builder in place can drive this annual salary on a nationally competitive scale in a hurry.
Beyond the money, partnership with the Raiders, a new stadium, and recruiting opportunities, being a coach at UNLV will provide an opportunity to grow without heavy expectations seen at other Power 5 programs. Turning a four-win program into a bowl eligible team is not hard with the right coaching, and will be widely applauded. Building upon that success into an MWC title contender to a perennial conference champion can be done in a couple of years if the right coach can see past the Power 5 glamour to all the possibilities awaiting in Las Vegas.
Photo credit: UNLV Athletics; Tony Sanchez pre-game