How Desiree Reed-Francois’ hires have fared

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

UNLV Rebels head coach T.J. Otzelberger directs his team during their NCAA basketball game with ... — UNLV Rebels head coach T.J. Otzelberger directs his team during their NCAA basketball game with Kansas State in the first half on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, at Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

California coach Cuonzo Martin motions to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah in the semifinals of the Pac-12 men’s tournament Friday, March 11, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

UNLV Rebels head coach T.J. Otzelberger, top/right, directs his team during their NCAA basketball game with Kansas State in the first half on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, at Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois is conducting her second major coaching search in eight months, seeking a football coach to replace Tony Sanchez, who officially was fired Monday.

Reed-Francois fired men’s basketball coach Marvin Menzies in March and hired T.J. Otzelberger.

But Otzelberger hasn’t been her only hire. She has made two others at UNLV and had a big hand in two high-profile hires at Power Five schools.

How have they worked out?

Here’s a look back:

■ Cuonzo Martin, 2011, Tennessee men’s basketball. He stayed three years, going from 19-15 his first season to 24-13 in 2013-14 and making the NCAA Tournament. Martin then went to California for three seasons and now is in his third year at Missouri.

■ Justin Fuente, 2015, Virginia Tech football. He went a combined 19-8 in his first two seasons before dipping to 6-7 last year, though Fuente appeared in bowls all three seasons. After a 45-10 home loss to Duke on Sept. 27, Fuente’s future was an open question. But the Hokies have won six of their past seven, with the one loss 21-20 at then-No. 16 Notre Dame, and are 8-3.

■ Kristie Fox, 2017, UNLV softball. Fox took over a program that went 25-27 the season before, and she has followed with records of 33-20 and 36-14. Her 69 victories tied Lonni Alameda’s school mark for the most over the first two seasons. Alameda won hers in 2004 and 2005 before leaving to take over Florida State. UNLV was one of the first four teams out of the NCAA Tournament last season.

■ Dawn Sullivan, 2018, UNLV volleyball. The Rebels went 8-23 the season before Sullivan took over, and she went 22-12 in her first season and 19-10 this year.

■ T.J. Otzelberger, 2019, UNLV men’s basketball. UNLV finished 17-14 last season, but the Rebels were 2-5 entering Tuesday’s game against Jackson State. Two of the losses were in overtime, but the Rebels were picked seventh in the Mountain West. Otzelberger has signed six players for next season with only three scholarship seniors, so change is coming.

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