New UNLV football head coach Marcus Arroyo responds to a question from a reporter during an introductory news conference at the Fertitta Football Complex at UNLV Friday, Dec. 13, 2019.
Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 | 1:36 p.m.
Marcus Arroyo's introductory press conference on Friday struck all the usual notes, with the new UNLV football coach proclaiming that he believes the Rebels can be a winning program.
"Rebel nation, we will win," Arroyo said. "We'll recruit at really high level. The goal is to compete for championships. We'll block out the naysayers...We'll build a winner that will last."
What we learned from Arroyo's first meeting with the media:
He's getting paid
Tony Sanchez was among the lowest paid head coaches in the Mountain West at $600,000 per year, but the program is shelling out for Arroyo. The former Oregon offensive coordinator signed a 5-year contract with UNLV that will pay him in excess of $7.5 million.
The year by year breakdown:
2020: $1.5 million
2021: $1.5 million
2022: $1.55 million
2023: $1.55 million
2024: $1.6 million
And the money doesn't stop there. Athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said the school also has the budget available to make Arroyo's assistant coaches among the highest paid in the conference.
Reed-Francois also said that the money will come entirely from the operations budget; as with T.J. Otzelberger's hiring in March, there was no contribution from outside boosters.
After decades of going cheap with their football coaches, it looks like the Rebels are finally hoping to get what they pay for.
He's coaching in the Rose Bowl
Before Arroyo can fully turn his attention to UNLV, he has some business to take care of at Oregon. The Ducks are scheduled to play in the Rose Bowl against against Wisconsin on Jan. 1, and on Friday Arroyo said he plans to coach in that game.
That means he'll presumably have to split his time between Las Vegas and Eugene, Ore., over the next several weeks.
Arroyo didn't elaborate much on his time management strategy except to say that UNLV has his full commitment now.
"This job started before I had it," Arroyo said. "I'm already in it. I'm already full, two feet, all the way in. The Rose Bowl is an opportunity that I plan on being a part of, and that is ultra-exciting for what we've done and the athletes that I've had a chance to be a part of. That's an awesome thing. But I'm locked in here."
With the early signing period set for Dec. 18, it would make sense for Arroyo to spend the next week working to secure UNLV's 2020 recruiting class. Once that is concluded, a dead period commences and Arroyo can probably head back to the Pacific Northwest to finish out his time at Oregon.
Offense will be his
Arroyo, a former quarterback who has coached exclusively on that side of the ball for almost two decades now, said he plans to be "engaged" in the UNLV offense. That likely means he'll recruit the players, design the schemes, coach the execution in practice and call the plays on Saturdays. The offense will be his.
The defense, however, will be a different story. Arroyo didn't commit to any specific strategy on Friday, but it seems like he's willing to turn over control of the defense to the person he hires as coordinator.
"Obviously the defensive part of the ball is a huge aspect of what we're going to do," Arroyo said. "We're going to hire the best teacher and coach out there. Scheme-wise, I've got a couple ideas, but we'll cross that bridge later."
Rebels are going to run
Arroyo touched on several aspects of his offensive philosophy when asked to lay out his vision for UNLV football, and he implied that it will look a lot like his run-first offense at Oregon.
"What we've moved toward in the most current role that I'm in is a football team that's physical, that's tough, that runs the football effectively, that relies on some things that make defenses have to work a little harder, like tempo, things of that nature."
Whether or not the players on the current roster fit into that plan, Arroyo didn't say on Friday. But running back Charles Williams confirmed he plans to return to UNLV for his senior year to play under the new coach.
"I feel like his offense is going to be a big boost for us," Williams said. "We can use all our weapons. This is going to be a great experience for me and my teammates."
Williams ran for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019 while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Because he redshirted due to injury in 2017, he could have left UNLV and been eligible to play elsewhere immediately as a grad transfer.
Recruiting boost
One of the most attractive elements of Arroyo's resume is his reputation as an elite recruiter. He pulled in some top talents during his time at Oklahoma State and Oregon, and though the Mountain West is not a power conference, he expressed confidence in his ability to bring talent to UNLV.
"We will recruit at a really high level," Arroyo said.
The biggest aspect in improving the Rebels' recruiting base may be the new Fertitta Football Complex, where Arroyo's press conference was held. With that building now up and running (and soon to be joined by Allegiant Stadium in 2020), the coach believes players will want to play for UNLV.
"You've got to recruit every place different," Arroyo said. "Every town has its own bullet points. I think that a town like this has way more positives than it does negatives in regards to its diversity, its wherewithal in sports, and just timing. Timing is just huge. It's critical."
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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