Boosters play a huge role in the hiring and firing of college coaches. Especially those who give large sums of money.
The way I see it, IF Sanchez being hired leads to UNLV getting increased donations from the Fertitta family and others, that is a positive for UNLV. That is money, that if spent wisely, can provide benefits to UNLV athletics long after the Sanchez era at UNLV is over.
The best UNLV was going to do was either an older HC who had both success and failure as an HC, a successful HC from FCS or NCAA D2 make the jump to FBS, or hiring a position coach from another FBS program. UNLV has tired all of the following approaches, and the only one that resulted in anything close to success was John Robinson. And, in John Robinson, UNLV got a person who in his prime was one of the best college coaches in the country. A coach who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
The former FBS or NFL HC's that were being mentioned are NOT going to end up in the College or Pro Football Hall of Fames for their coaching prowess. So, why not give Sanchez a try, and see what happens? I agree with the people saying that Sanchez has on the ground contacts that may well result in him being able to sign players deemed 1 or 2 star recruits by the major recruiting agencies, but who have much higher potential than given by the rating systems. Also, Sanchez has contacts in California, Texas and New Mexico, in addition to Las Vegas.
I know Youngstown State plays in FCS. But, using Jim Tressel as an example during his time at YSU is relevant to this issue. He signed plenty of kids whose only D1 offer was YSU. Guys that went on to be starters on National Championship teams, and in some cases all Americans. A few players of this type even signed with teams in the NFL, Arena Football, CFL, XFL and in some cases made the teams rosters. Again, I know YSU is in FCS and UNLV in FBS. But, the point is relevant. Kids who had no FCS schools make them an offer other than YSU. All the other offers were from D2, D3 and NAIA schools.
So, apply this to UNLV, and we are talking kids getting plenty of looks and offers from FCS schools, but nothing serious from any FBS schools. These are the kinds of players that Sanchez MIGHT be able to bring to UNLV. Alot of the scouting services look at size, speed, vertical jump, how much weight a kid can lift. NONE of those are measures of whether or not a kid can play football. Whether or not he has instincts and a mindset for the game that cannot be taught. With a quality weight training and conditioning program, guys can get stronger, they can improve their times in the 40, improve their vertical leap. A WR that runs a 5.0 is not going to turn into a kid that runs 4.3. But, a guy that runs say 4.8, and has great hands, can possibly get down to a 4.6 or 4.55. I'm talking about kids that if the ball hits their hands, 9 of 10 times they make the catch. Guys that run precise routes.
With running backs, a kid who is 5'8" and maybe 200lbs, and deemed too small and too slow by most FBS programs. But, a kid that knows how to read blocks, that can catch passes out of the backfield, that is simply a "football player". LB's and DE's who are deemed to small, but again, have a nose for the ball. The kind of guys who always manage to be in the right place at the right time. Who tackle, rather than trying to knock guys over. Who fight and fight and fight on every play.
You get a team with players like this, and then some legitimate studs, and it is amazing what can be accomplished. Especially with a coaching staff that knows how to maximize the potential of the players as individuals and as a team. A group of kids that "buy in", trust the coaching staff, trust each other, and know the coaching stuff trusts them. Maybe Sanchez is the guyto bring all of this together at UNLV, along with the $$$$ support needed to improve practice facilities and locker room at SBS among other improvements.
Then again, maybe he is at UNLV 4-5 years and wins 10-15 games. This is a roll of the dice, and what better place to roll the dice with the hire of a Head Football Coach than Las Vegas!!!!
