New FSM Feature: UNLV Football Coaching Staff is in High Demand

New FSM Feature: UNLV Football Coaching Staff is in High Demand

Franchise Sports Media

 

UNLV has lost 11 coaches in one season and a covid season. What does that say about Marcus Arroyo’s staff and hires?

 

UNLV head football coach Marcus Arroyo believes fully in “talent acquisition” and is not just for players. It’s for the entire program at every level. He values experienced, qualified, differences makers, and up and comers who get attached to the UNLV “process” that people respect.

That is the #1 pillar of building a winning program with supreme value, acquiring talent!

Examples of what coach Arroyo and his program have been and are currently doing are easy to see. 11 coaches have left for Power-5 or NFL jobs since he hired them at UNLV. They didn’t leave because of differences, and they weren’t fired. Better job opportunities at higher levels pursued them.

“Yeah, it sucks, but it’s part of the business having an elite staff at this level,” Arroyo told me. “But it’s also very humbling to have these people want to be here. That means they believe, and that means a lot to me.”

 

What does it say about a program that has struggled? Let’s take a deep dive into it.

 

This also shows the direction in which the program is headed. The staff that coach Arroyo has continued to roll out has continued to recruit at a high level and coach up to get the most out of the talent on the roster. They also maintain the same core values he continues to instill in the program.

It also shows a keen eye for talent and who to hire and bring into the Rebel family. The UNLV football program, under coach Arroyo, continues to roll along and improve even with the turnover.

The Rebels are constantly looking to add elite talent on the field, which is why UNLV is becoming a desirable landing spot for coaches.

A $2 billion stadium, a $36 million football facility (in the Fertitta Football Complex), a city that is both blue-collar and flashy, and in an area where you can travel ANYWHERE to acquire talent, it’s a coaches dream. UNLV has all the tools to become a football power. Coach Arroyo’s vision is to build a sustained, long-term power program that reflects not only his core values but also that of the city of Las Vegas.

Arroyo allows his coaches to coach. He empowers them and maintains a constant and consistent open line of communication with players and coaches alike. Arroyo doesn’t try to hold his coaches back if other opportunities and promotions present themselves. In fact, he encourages them to chase them.

 

Here is the list of the 11 former staff members at UNLV, even briefly, that turned their time into a “better opportunity.”

 

Offensive Coordinator – Charlie Langsdorf – Colorado Buffaloes

Scouting Assistant – Matt Leitch – Miami Dolphins (NFL)

Strength & Conditioning – Diamond Simmons – UCLA Bruins

Videographer – Heath Mosier – Oregon Ducks

Defensive Line coach – Chad Kauha’aha’a – UCLA Bruins

Athletic Training – Cole Greenspan – Maryland Terrapins

Athletic Training. – Jennifer Martin – Carolina Panthers (NFL)

Wide Receiver coach – Terrence Samuel – Syracuse Orange

Quality Control Special Teams – Bailey McElwain – Northwestern Wildcats

Tight End coach – Brandon PaoPao – Arizona Wildcats

Offensive Coordinator – Glenn Thomas – Arizona State Sun Devils

 

What does this mean for the program in the future?

 

Well, that’s a question that even I want to know. Honestly, I don’t know. Glenn Thomas is a highly respected quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. He also comes from the same coaching tree that Brian Billick comes from, and he is now a part of the ASU coaching staff.

But coach Arroyo calls the plays, and it is his offense, so whomever he hires to become the quarterback coach will work closely with coach Arroyo.

The Rebels are now looking for three coaches since Thomas, Kauha’aha’a, and cornerback coach Clay Jennings, who left for Texas State, are no longer with the program. So coach Arroyo is now back to acquiring more talent, and that’s something he’s been good at everywhere he’s coached. Armed with a few ’22 scholarships after National Signing Day (at least 8), and all the amenities that a coach or player would want, UNLV becomes even more enticing. I wouldn’t bet against him and what he has up his sleeve.

 

The Rebels football program will keep on rolling, and I am confident whoever coach Arroyo brings in will thrive and be an excellent fit. History says that.

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-Joe Arrigo   Franchise Sports Media

Follow Joe on Twitter and Instagram: @JoeArrigoFSM

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