UNLV football targets Arizona for top recruits

With all the publicity UNLV’s football program has received in recent years for recruiting heavily in California and Texas as well as locally, Arizona often has gone unmentioned.

But that state has been critical for the Rebels and is one of third-year coach Tony Sanchez’s top priorities.

“It’s (a) neighboring state and it’s a talented HS football state,” Sanchez said in a text message. “The Phoenix area is an easy drive or a really short flight.”

Five Arizonans were on last season’s roster, including center Will Kreitler and safety Troy Hawthorne, who were honorable mention All-Mountain West.

The Rebels already have seven players who have committed for the current recruiting class, and three are from Arizona: receiver/tight end Jarick Caldwell, cornerback Bryce Jackson and defensive tackle Chris Manoa. All attend defending 6A state champion Chandler High School.

New softball coach

UNLV hired Texas-Arlington coach Kristie Fox on Thursday to run its softball program.

Fox went 134-137 at Arlington, including 32-28 this past season, and guided the team to its first postseason appearance since 2003. That victory total also was the program’s highest in six years.

“It was evident in our research and through my conversations with Kristie that she would be a top candidate for this position,” UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement. “She is a rising star in the coaching ranks who made an immediate impact when she took over the program at UT Arlington.

“With her head coaching experience, building a program, her ties to the region and having competed at the highest levels herself — winning national championships at Arizona — we are confident that she will help lead Rebel softball to national prominence.”

Fox, 31, takes over a UNLV program that hasn’t posted a winning record since going 27-18 in 2011.

Moving on

Kreigh Warkentien, who spent the past six seasons on UNLV’s basketball staff, has become the chief administrative officer for men’s basketball at Washington. Former Rebels coach and player Dave Rice is an assistant for the Huskies.

Warkentien was UNLV’s director of basketball operations for five years before last summer becoming the assistant athletic director for men’s basketball alumni relations and special events. Her father, Mark, was a Rebels assistant coach from 1981 to 1987 and is a longtime NBA executive.

“Seattle here I come!” Warkentien posted on Instagram. “… So thankful for my time at UNLV and will miss Las Vegas so much!”

Also, Brandon Mason is leaving UNLV after one season as director of player personnel to become an assistant coach at New Mexico.

Mountain West media days

Mountain West football media days are Tuesday and Wednesday at The Cosmopolitan, and the preseason poll and all-conference team will be released the first day. West Division teams meet the media on Tuesday, and the Mountain Division schools go before the microphones on Wednesday.

UNLV will bring senior wide receiver Devonte Boyd to represent the offense and senior tackle Mike Hughes Jr. for the defense. Both are local products — Boyd went to Basic High School and Hughes to Palo Verde.

More Rebels: Follow all of our UNLV coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Rebels and @RJRebels on Twitter.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.