Former UNLV athletic director Jim Weaver dies

Jim Weaver saw himself as a builder.

Whether it was facilities or launching a bowl game, the former Penn State offensive lineman liked to take on projects he believed would yield long-term benefits to the school and the community.

The longtime athletic administrator who served as UNLV’s athletic director from November 1991 to October 1994 and later worked as the AD at Western Michigan and Virginia Tech, died Wednesday in Blacksburg, Va., after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 70.

In a statement released Thursday by UNLV, current athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who briefly worked with Weaver before leaving UNLV for the University of the Pacific, said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Weaver. He did some really good things during his three years in Las Vegas and he certainly went on to do a lot of impressive things at Virginia Tech. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Weaver came to UNLV from the University of Florida at a time when there was great upheaval over the men’s basketball program. Jerry Tarkanian had been forced to resign effective at the end of the 1992 season, and Weaver was put in charge of finding Tarkanian’s successor by then-UNLV president Robert Maxson.

Weaver was able to lure former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino to Las Vegas, but it wasn’t a good fit. Massimino lasted just two years with the Rebels before stepping aside after it was discovered the school had supplied Massimino with a secret supplemental contract, which Weaver helped craft. Massimino accepted a $1.9 million buyout before the start of the 1994-95 season.

Weaver did help raise money to build the Lied Athletic Complex, which was constructed to serve as the football program’s locker room, sports medicine and strength and conditioning facility and office space for the football coaches as well as coaches for some of UNLV’s Olympic sports.

Working with Las Vegas Events, Weaver helped raise the profile of college football in the city by launching the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. He convinced the Big West and the Mid-American Conferences to send their champions to Las Vegas.

The inaugural game was played on Dec. 18, 1992, with Bowling Green defeating UNR 35-34. The 24th edition of the Las Vegas Bowl will be played Dec. 19.

While at Western Michigan, he made a return visit to Las Vegas, setting up the first and only Division I men’s ice hockey game to be played at the Thomas & Mack Center. On Dec. 15, 1995, the Broncos defeated Bowling Green 6-4 in front of a sparse crowd of less than 3,000.

Weaver came to Virginia Tech in 1997 and spent 16 years guiding the Hokies’ athletic program. Weaver navigated the school through two key conference shifts, first to the Big East in 2000, then the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004. Weaver also helped generate more than $200 million in facilities improvements and construction at the school.

In 2004, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He remained on the job until 2013 and Virginia Tech won 16 ACC team titles during Weaver’s tenure. In 2014, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named Weaver its AD of the Year.

Weaver is survived by his wife Traci and four sons, Josh, Paul, Cole and Craig. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj