Previous UNLV coaches have had mixed results in debuts

By Taylor Bern

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015 | 2 a.m.

First impressions often have a lasting impact in sports. UNLV coach Tony Sanchez gets his on Saturday, and 10 previous coaches have had their chance at the same opportunity with the Rebels.

John Robinson in 1999 was the last coach to win his debut, but overall the record sits at 5-5. Bill Ireland won by a touchdown in UNLV’s first-ever game while Bobby Hauck began his tenure with a 20-point loss against No. 12 Wisconsin. In between coaches came and went at an average of less than five seasons and left whatever mark they could.

As Sanchez prepares to become the 11th coach to take the field at UNLV, here’s a look at how the previous 10 did in their debuts and beyond:

BILL IRELAND

UNLV debut: Sept. 14, 1968; Win, 27-20 vs. St. Mary’s at Cashman Field

First season: 8-1

Record at UNLV: 26-23-1 (five seasons)

• An instrumental figure in the athletic department’s history, Ireland started UNLV’s program from scratch and went 8-1 in his debut season. As coach he helped create the Fremont Cannon trophy for the rivalry game between UNLV and Ireland’s alma mater, UNR, and as athletic director from 1973-80 he helped move the football program into Division I, added women’s sports to the university and hired men’s basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian.

RON MEYER

UNLV debut: Sept. 8, 1973; Win, 38-6 vs. St. College of Arkansas at Las Vegas Stadium

First season: 8-3

Record at UNLV: 27-8 (three seasons)

• The coach with the best winning percentage is also the one who left the quickest. Meyer left after three seasons in Division II, heading to SMU with a 77.1 winning percentage. He would later coach at levels high and low, including the NFL’s New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, then one-year stints for failed franchises in the CFL (Las Vegas Posse) and XFL (Chicago Enforcers).

TONY KNAP

UNLV debut: Sept. 11, 1976; Win, 21-19 vs. Montana at Las Vegas Stadium

First season: 9-3

Record at UNLV: 47-20-2 (six seasons)

• The winningest coach in program history, Knap oversaw the transition to Division I and notched arguably the biggest victory in program history with 1981’s 45-41 upset at No. 8 BYU. It says a lot about UNLV’s instability and also its relatively young history that no coach has been in charge for more than six seasons.

HARVEY HYDE

UNLV debut: Sept. 2, 1982; Loss, 27-0 vs. BYU at Silver Bowl

First season: 3-8

Record at UNLV: 26-19-1 (four seasons)

• Hyde guided UNLV to its first bowl appearance, a 30-13 victory against Toledo in the California Bowl. However, the Pacific Coast Athletic Association later forfeited that season’s 11 wins for use of ineligible players. The NCAA and UNLV still recognize the victories.

WAYNE NUNNELY

UNLV debut: Sept. 6, 1986; Loss, 34-14 at Washington State

First season: 6-5

Record at UNLV: 19-25 (four seasons)

• An assistant on Hyde’s staff, Nunnely took over as interim coach after Hyde was fired. Nunnely, who lettered as a running back at UNLV, was given the full-time job shortly after defeating Wisconsin in front of a sold-out home crowd in his third game. Despite the good start, Nunnely left UNLV with a losing record, a trend that continues through Bobby Hauck.

JIM STRONG

UNLV debut: Sept. 1, 1990; Loss, 31-24 Southwest Missouri State at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl

First season: 4-7

Record at UNLV: 17-27 (four seasons)

• Strong’s 6-5 record in 1992, his third year, was the first winning record since Nunnely’s first season. Neither man ever won more than six games, a number that’s been eclipsed only three times in the 22 seasons since then.

JEFF HORTON

UNLV debut: Sept. 3, 1994; Win, 17-3 vs. Eastern Michigan at Sam Boyd Stadium

First season: 7-5

Record at UNLV: 13-44 (five seasons)

• A former UNR coach, Horton had one of the best debut seasons in program history. UNLV won the Fremont Cannon for the first time in six years and went to the Las Vegas Bowl, notching a 52-24 victory against Central Michigan. Horton is now the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at San Diego State, where he’s one of two former UNLV coaches on staff (Hauck).

JOHN ROBINSON

UNLV debut: Sept. 2, 1999; Win, 26-3 at North Texas

First season: 3-8

Record at UNLV: 28-42 (six seasons)

• Robinson had an impressive resume before arriving at UNLV. He posted winning records at USC and in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams. In the middle of his tenure, Robinson became his own boss as UNLV’s athletic director. Robinson’s victory in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl is still the Rebels’ last bowl win. They’ve been back only once.

MIKE SANFORD

UNLV debut: Sept. 5, 2005; Loss, 24-22 at New Mexico

First season: 2-9

Record at UNLV: 16-43 (five seasons)

• Sanford is remembered locally mostly for his exit, when he ranted and pointed fingers at everyone and everything but himself. To many it felt bitter, but looking back it was the same message that came from Athletic Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy and coach Tony Sanchez during his hiring process. Sanford, on Nov. 16, 2009: “In my opinion, this must be a systemic, infrastructure and commitment issue, and not a coach issue. There's a mentality (within the community) of ‘Well, let's see if they win, then we'll jump on the bandwagon and help them.’ And that's not going to work. It hasn't worked, like I said, for 20 years. UNLV keeps changing coaches, and that's not the answer.”

BOBBY HAUCK

UNLV debut: Sept. 4, 2010; Loss, 41-21 vs. No. 12 Wisconsin at Sam Boyd Stadium

First season: 2-11

Record at UNLV: 15-49 (five seasons)

• There’s always 2013. A quarterback change to Caleb Herring sparked the Rebels to wins in seven of 10 games and a trip to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, and as a result Hauck got a contract extension after seemingly turning a corner. When 2014 brought another two-win embarrassment a change was made, and now Hauck will return to Sam Boyd Stadium on Nov. 21 as San Diego State’s special teams coordinator.

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