MW winners show UNLV importance of leadership stability
When UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-francois took herself out of the running Friday for the same position at UCLA, the decision provided a much-needed dose of stability.
Now UNLV will not have the distraction of an athletic director search as she and her team try to make plans during an uncertain time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Her return is especially important given the Rebels’ football and men’s and women’s basketball coaches were hired in the past 14 months.
And UNLV’S president, Marta Meana, has been in an acting role for nearly two years.
UNLV can look within the Mountain West to see the importance of stability.
Boise State athletics
Lyle Smith became the school’s first athletic director in 1968 and held the office until 1981. Only three others have run Boise State’s athletic department since then, with current AD Curt Apsey finishing his fifth year on the job. He succeeded Gene Bleymaier, who was the AD for nearly 30
years.
Familiar faces also have led the Broncos’ most high-profile programs.
Between Chris Petersen and Bryan Harsin, their nationally relevant football program has had just two coaches since 2006. In that time, Boise State won eight Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West titles and three Fiesta Bowls.
Leon Rice has headed the men’s basketball program since 2010, winning at least 20 games eight times, making two NCAA Tournaments and capturing a share of the 2014-15 Mountain West regular-season championship.
Gordy Presnell has coached the women’s team since 2005, and has won six conference titles and four regular-season championships. Boise State has qualified for five NCAA Tournaments since joining the Mountain West in 2011-12.
“I believe a lot of the success that we have had at Boise State over the years has been a direct result of continuity from people that understand our culture,” Apsey said.
“That has obviously been the case with our football program, and people will point at recent history to support that, but I think you can go all the way back to Lyle Smith.
“We’ve seen similar successes in men’s and women’s basketball and