UNLV’s AD search, three finalists merit closer look

The search for UNLV’s next athletic director could conclude with an offer to one of three finalists today, which probably explains the festive mood president Neal Smatresk championed at the school’s basketball game Saturday.

Yes, they really do make Santa hats with "UNLV" on them.

Smatresk’s journey to what could prove his most important hire as president has had its share of interesting and bizarre twists. He appointed a search committee whose wishes, based on the finalists, weren’t entirely recognized.

Here is a closer look at other parts of the search and who just might end up receiving that classy and responsible congratulatory e-mail from the search committee chairman.

Minority and female candidates:

If any advanced to the search’s latter stages, it was one of the best-kept secrets of the process. Which makes you wonder if any did, given there weren’t many secrets that didn’t ultimately find their way into some form of media.

In the end, you strive to hire the best fit for UNLV. Given that’s not possible with any of the three finalists, you do your best to identify which one makes the most sense.

You don’t hire a minority or female for the sake of it. You don’t move them along in the process simply to appease a specific group.

But if the mountain of resumes was as imposing as some search committee members implied, I have to believe a university that promotes itself as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer considered seriously any applications submitted by minority and female candidates.

Or at least I’d like to think so.

Local candidates:

Acting athletic director Jerry Koloskie and South Point Arena general manager Steve Stallworth advanced to on-campus interviews, which Smatresk obviously felt was enough to appease several boosters and influential sorts who favored a local hire.

When questioning whether Stallworth should have been hired, people have mistakenly suggested experience isn’t being given enough weight.

It definitely should have been a consideration, but years of service don’t always translate to being the best fit for a particular position.

It’s true that any of the three finalists could walk onto campus today and understand what it takes to run an athletic department. They’re not going to be confused by the job description.

But think of these names: Charlie Cavagnaro. Mike Hamrick. Jim Weaver.

Translation: Knowing which meetings to attend hardly qualifies you as having a clue about what makes a great athletic director.

Handicapping the three finalists:

Bill Moos (2-1): His time away from athletics (Moos resigned from his position as Oregon’s AD in late 2006) should actually help him. He has taken a breath. He wants back in. He isn’t just about landing one job because he’s about to lose another.

If all things are fair and impartial (and there is no way of knowing that to be true), this should now be Moos’ job to lose given what he accomplished in helping to build Oregon into the program it is today. If all things are on the up-and-up, he’s the pick. Or at least he should be.

Jim Livengood (4-1): His visit is scheduled for today, which makes him the last of the finalists in, which is often code for being the favorite to win out.

But at some point, you would hope someone seriously evaluates Livengood’s motivation for the position and his desire to build UNLV into a powerful athletic program while leaving his Arizona position that doesn’t figure to be renewed in July.

John Johnson (10-1): It’s funny. While the senior associate from Washington State figures to be the group’s long shot, you can make a compelling argument he would work the hardest.

Johnson was athletic director at Weber State and Eastern Washington. UNLV is a step up. He would have something to prove. Those who know Johnson best say while he wouldn’t win the press conference over Livengood or Moos, he could over the long haul get more accomplished in fundraising and other important facets than the other two.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He also can be heard weeknights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on "The Sports Scribes" on KDWN-AM (720) and www.kdwn.com.