THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210777
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LAS VEGAS LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Nevada-Las Vegas' interim president reversed himself Thursday and offered Seattle SuperSonics assistant Tim Grgurich a contract to replace Rollie Massimino as coach of the Runnin' Rebels.
The offer was made over the objections of the university's lame-duck athletic director, who said Grgurich's hiring would be perceived as a return to the Jerry Tarkanian era.
``I still cannot recommend to the president that we hire Tim Grgurich,'' said athletic director Jim Weaver, who resigned Wednesday but will work the rest of the school year. ``There is a problem with the perception of the program and the university returning to the Tarkanian program. This can't be.''
Interim university president Kenny Guinn made the offer to Grgurich after meeting with Runnin' Rebels players. He said they pressed for the hiring of Grgurich, who was Tarkanian's assistant for 12 years.
``We decided that maybe the thing we should do is offer Tim Grgurich a contract,'' Guinn said. ``We're not binding the university down for a long time. We're trying to solve a problem right now.''
Guinn said Grgurich promised to let him know this morning if he would take the job. If he did, he was expected to return from Memphis, where he was with the NBA team for an exhibition game, and run practice this afternoon.
``There's no doubt he was very interested,'' said Guinn, who talked to Grgurich on Thursday. ``I have my fingers crossed. We owe it to the young student-athletes.''
If Grgurich rejects the offer, Guinn said, the university has a list of candidates it would contact about taking the job on an interim basis.
The offer capped a bizarre string of events that began last Friday, when Massimino agreed to take a $1.8 million buyout after two seasons as Tarkanian's successor. Tarkanian resigned during the 1991-92 season, ending a long dispute between the coach and former school president Robert Maxson.
As late as Thursday morning, Guinn had said the university would seek an interim coach for the upcoming season, and there were reports that former Old Dominion coach Sonny Allen had been offered the interim job.
Dave Twardzik, Allen's star
guard at ODU and the Charlotte
Hornets' player-personnel director, for whom Allen works as head scout, reportedly told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday that Allen had been offered the job.
Reached by The Virginian-Pilot on Thursday in Bologna, Italy, where the Hornets play an exhibition game today, Twardzik backed away from that statement. He said that Allen had discussed the position with Weaver.
``If I did say he was offered it, maybe I should have said he's just had discussions about it,'' Twardzik said. ``He's interested in it.
``It's a nice opportunity for Sonny. He's exactly what they need right now. Here's a guy that's as above-the-board as you can be, no question about that.''
UNLV players, however, pressed for Grgurich's hiring with both Guinn and Weaver during meetings Thursday, and talks resumed in an effort to bring in Grgurich.
Grgurich had arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday and met with players at McCarran International Airport. He later went to the university and met with the players again, when he told them he would be their new coach.
Grgurich, however, wasn't formally offered the job and left Las Vegas early Thursday to rejoin the SuperSonics. MEMO: Staff writer Tom Robinson contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Tim Grgurich was Jerry Tarkanian's assistant for 12 years.
by CNB