UNLV’s Sanchez learned dad’s ‘special toughness’ as California cop

First-year UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez has made the glitz of Las Vegas a key selling point for his program.

But Sanchez also is about discipline and toughness. He was born at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., and has great respect for the military.

His dad, Fred, not only was in the Air Force, but also went on to have a long career in law enforcement, rising from beat cop in Oakland, Calif., to police chief in Pomona, Calif. Fred Sanchez was Pomona's police chief from September 1998 to November 2002.

"Being a cop's kid, you know what they go through on a daily basis," Tony Sanchez said. "It was a good yet really tough time in Oakland. Anybody that does that for 25 years has got a special toughness to him.

"Watching him progress throughout his career, he was really hard working, articulate, a really smart guy and had a real successful career. Career-wise, you look at that, and it's a great model."

Tony Sanchez said he didn't worry much about his dad's dangerous line of work when he walked out the front door.

"I think when we were growing up, it was a little different," Tony Sanchez said. "The media wasn't in your face as much. Social media wasn't there. You didn't hear about a lot of things like you do now."

Fred Sanchez grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and knew what it was like to live on welfare, but he and his siblings went on to successful careers.

"He taught me toughness right away, let me tell you," Tony Sanchez said. "Whenever you got the call saying, 'I'll be home. I have to deal with this a little bit later,' you sat on egg shells a little bit."

NOTABLE

UNLV scrimmages at 8:10 a.m. today at Rebel Park. It is open to the public. … The scrimmage represents the end of training camp. The Rebels then begin preparing in earnest for the Sept. 5 season opener at Northern Illinois. Sanchez said the coaches began their prep work in the spring and that the game plan was almost completed. … UNLV's final double session was Thursday. The Rebels had only four, which follows a nationwide trend of doing fewer two-a-days because of the emphasis on offseason conditioning. This isn't a new approach, however. Then-coach Bobby Hauck had just five double days last year.

POSITION SPOTLIGHT

Secondary

Only Peni Vea returns among the starters, but there is talent. Torry McTyer is a promising cornerback, and newcomers Darius Mouton and Jay'Onn Myles have potential.

Cornerback

Torry McTyer Jr. 6-0 180

Jay'Onn Myles Jr. 5-8 165

Cornerback

Fred Wilson Sr. 6-0 180

Tim Hough Fr. 5-11 190

Strong safety

Peni Vea Sr. 6-1 205

Troy Hawthorne Jr. 6-3 210

J.T. Nettleton Fr. 6-3 195

Free safety

Blake Richmond Sr. 6-3 205

Kenny Keys Sr. 6-4 200

Dalton Baker Fr. 5-11 185

Nickelback

Darius Mouton Fr. 5-10 165

Jay'Onn Myles Jr. 5-8 165

SITTING OUT

Player Pos. Injury

Kyle Anderson TE Ankle

Marc Philippi FB Foot

Jeremiah Valoaga DE Foot