Sanchez brings abundant energy to task of rebuilding UNLV
Finally, after an hour, most of the crowd was gone. What remained were the local writers as well as a college football reporter from USA Today.
But for most of an hour, the crowd of reporters — some sitting, some standing — was in double digits as UNLV coach Tony Sanchez went through his first Mountain West media days.
And he relished every moment, showing more energy than the reporters Tuesday morning at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
That's to be expected from the Rebels' newest hire. He seemingly uses every waking moment to find some way to push UNLV football forward, be it hitting the recruiting trail or promoting the program on social media.
And so he was promoting UNLV again in front of the conference media as well as those from national outlets. Expectations are low for Sanchez and the Rebels this season. They were picked last in the West Division, and sophomore wide receiver Devonte Boyd was their only selection to the preseason all-conference team.
Whether Sanchez, hired from Bishop Gorman, is able to turn around UNLV is one of the top stories in the Mountain West. He answered his share of questions about making the jump directly from high school, including whether he found it insulting being referred to as a high school coach.
"I take a lot of pride in it," Sanchez said. "There are a lot of people that are excited about this."
Other highlights from his sit-down with the media:
— "You're trying to rally an entire city. You're trying to rally a program that's won two games eight of the last 11 years. That's a big task, but it's exciting. At the end of the day, I don't think any of us got into this business because we wanted to do it safe. You get into this because you're a competitor."
— "I think anybody coming into this job is going to have a ton of naysayers based on the lack of success we've had here. I think coming from high school is going to magnify it outside. I know there are a lot of people in this city who are excited, and they're ready for us to make this run. There are a lot of people who are scratching their heads, ’Is this going to work?'"
— "I don't think you can say (the roster is) stocked. I probably wouldn't have a job. But I'm not going to sit here, too, and say, ’Woe is me, it's bare.' I like our guys. Our guys are never going to read about me complaining and whining."
His players love the passion, and it's evident by their many postings on social media. Going on Twitter is new to them because players weren't allowed to post under previous coach Bobby Hauck.
"I think that's a good way to incorporate the community when they see what we're doing," UNLV senior quarterback Blake Decker said. "They know what we're doing as opposed to let's keep everything under the rug and give you little tidbits here and there. It's tough to get everybody to rally around you when they don't know what you're doing."
Sanchez has brought an entirely new look into the program, including the actual look with three sets of new uniforms.
Football is about more than uniforms and social media and energy, though those elements are important. The ultimate measure will be in wins and losses.
If Sanchez can get the Rebels into position where they finally win more games than they lose, the media crowds will keep coming back.
"At the end of the day, this game's about winning," he said. "We're taking over a program that just hasn't done it consistently, and that's the biggest challenge. We're only a year removed from going to a bowl game. But why these dips? When I look at the history of UNLV, they have a good year and then plummet.
"So if we can be consistent and steadfast in our plan, I think you'll gradually see us start to move up. Hopefully, that consistency results in a lot of wins."
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him: @markanderson65.
