UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy expected to leave job in spring, sources say
Multiple sources said UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy will remain in her current position until the end of the academic year and then move to a new job elsewhere in the university.
Kunzer-Murphy, however, said on Monday no decisions have been made regarding her three-year contract, which is set to expire at the end of this calendar year, but she has had “ongoing discussions” about her future with UNLV president Len Jessup.
“I’ve been meeting with the president, as I have said, to talk about my contract,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “People know my contract is up at the end of December, and we have ongoing conversation. Nothing is finalized. We’re having ongoing discussions on where we’re going to go and what’s best for me and our department and this university, and as soon as we do, we’ll let you know.
“I come in every day and I work very, very hard. I love this job. I love this university. I love what I do. Until that changes, that’s exactly what I’m going to continue to do. My main focus is always on the best interests of our student-athletes.”
Sources, who spoke to the Review-Journal on the condition they not be identified, said an announcement could come as early as this week. Kunzer-Murphy, a Las Vegas native and a UNLV graduate who played tennis and volleyball for the Rebels, had said she will make such a announcement around the time of the presidential debate, which will take place Oct. 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Kunzer-Murphy, 63, is the only female athletic director in UNLV history. The Rebels began their athletics program in 1958.
She has been in charge during a particularly newsworthy time for UNLV athletics, most notably hiring the head coaches for the two premier sports — Tony Sanchez in football and Marvin Menzies in men’s basketball.
After accepting Bobby Hauck’s resignation in November 2014, Kunzer-Murphy turned to Sanchez and garnered national headlines for taking the chance of selecting someone directly from high school. Then in January of this year, Kunzer-Murphy fired basketball coach Dave Rice at midseason, and led a messy hiring process in which one coach turned down an offer and another accepted it only to leave 2½ weeks later.
Kunzer-Murphy also had to deal with the fallout from the arrest of baseball coach Tim Chambers for driving under the influence. Chambers resigned in December and was replaced by assistant coach Stan Stolte.
She has been publicly criticized for her handling of Chambers, Hauck and Rice, whose contracts were extended prior to their firings.
On the other hand, the baseball program also raised the money to build a $2.75 million clubhouse that opened in March, and the football program announced last month that it is moving forward with a new building that will cost between $24 million and $26 million. The football program also has been working with the Oakland Raiders to get financing approved for a new stadium that would house both teams.
UNLV athletics operates with a $35 million budget, which it balanced last fiscal year. Kunzer-Murphy, however, said the department probably will fall short this fiscal year for a variety of reasons.
Kunzer-Murphy and Jessup applied for membership earlier this year into the Big 12 Conference, but the school was turned down in August. They have made it clear they would like an eventual invitation into a power-five conference, such as the Pac-12.
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow on Twitter: @markanderson65
