New UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez is short on college football experience. Luckily for him, that isn’t the case for the rest of his staff.
The Rebels stole Colorado defensive coordinator Kent Baer to serve in the same capacity, the program announced Monday. And he’s not the only coach leaving Boulder for Sin City, as safeties coach/special teams coordinator Andy LaRussa is coming along as well.
“I’m excited about this staff because of the years of experience and also the success that they’ve had in their careers,” Sanchez said in a statement. “Bringing this group of gentlemen in not only gives us excellent football coaches but also great mentors to our kids and people who will represent this University in a positive way. I couldn’t be more excited about the staff and their commitment to my vision and the vision of UNLV and where we’re moving. They are going to help us build UNLV Football into a winning program.”
Regardless of Colorado’s defensive standing - the Buffs were 11th or lower in the Pac-12 in total defense, scoring defense and yards per play allowed - nabbing a pair of Pac-12 assistants is a major coup for a Mountain West program with shaky funding and fresh off a 2-11 season.Something I keep hearing about the new #UNLVFB staff is it’s filled with coaches who can recruit. Now comes the test with the first class.
— Mark Anderson (@markanderson65) December 22, 2014