Quantcast
MobileRJ | RSS TwitterTwitter FacebookFacebook E-mail Alerts
Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Sports
Apr. 21, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Olivier coming back to UNLV

Women's basketball job goes to ex-Rebel, former UCLA coach

By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
More Info
KATHY OLIVIER FILE

COACHING EXPERIENCE: Head coach UCLA, 1993-2008; assistant coach UCLA, 1986-1993; assistant USC, 1983-1986; assistant UC-Irvine, 1982-1983; grad assistant UNLV, 1981-1982.

HEAD COACHING RECORD: 232-208

COACHING TITLES/NCAA TOURNAMENT BIDS: One Pac-10 team title (1999), one Pac-10 tournament title (2006); five NCAA bids; one Elite Eight (1999)

COLLEGE CAREER: Played two years at Cal State Fullerton and two at UNLV

COLLEGE NOTES: Averaged 16.3 points per game her first year for Lady Rebels and was named honorable mention All-America. Averaged 20.2 points per game as a senior at UNLV.


Kathy Olivier

UNLV has looked into its past in hopes of making its women's basketball program successful again.

The school has reached an agreement in principle with Kathy Olivier, a former Lady Rebels standout who spent the past 15 seasons as UCLA's coach, to take over at UNLV, an athletic department source said Sunday.

Most Popular Stories
  • COTTO CONQUERED: Pacquiao in seventh heaven
  • COTTO CONQUERED: Pacquiao in seventh heaven
  • ED GRANEY: Pacquiao awaits bell for Mayweather fight
  • Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is hot topic
  • Potential replacements plentiful
  • SAD STATE OF UNLV FOOTBALL: Sanford: Program neglected
  • ED GRANEY: Sanford's ouster comes as no shock
  • VACANCY DRAWS CROWD: UNLV takes spin on 'carousel'
  • UNLV BASKETBALL: Oscar-winning ending
  • UNLV fires football coach Sanford
  • UNLV fires football coach Sanford
  • ED GRANEY: Coach gets defensive at last, but not the way we'd hoped




    • The source, who did not want to be named because an official announcement has not been made, said a news conference could be called Tuesday. Olivier is expected to sign a multiyear deal.

    While not specifically identifying Olivier, UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick said he was hopeful the hire would be announced soon.

    "We expect to get the thing finalized here in the next couple of days," Hamrick said. "Until we do get all the final details worked out, we won't make an official announcement."

    An attempt to reach Olivier was unsuccessful, but her former UNLV coach, Dan Ayala, praised Hamrick and the athletic administration.

    "I think Kathy is a great hire for UNLV and for the Las Vegas community," Ayala said. "I think she will go a great job not only winning, but she will represent the community and use her resources to bring the women's basketball community together.

    "So I'm happy for those who have supported it, and I'm going to get involved and other people will get involved, and I'm proud of what she brings to the table."

    Olivier succeeds Regina Miller, the Lady Rebels' coach for 10 seasons. Miller, who took over a struggling UNLV program, posted winning records her first eight seasons, but experienced back-to-back losing season to close her Lady Rebels career.

    Olivier, then known as Kathy Ricks, played for the Lady Rebels in the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons. She was an honorable-mention All-American her first season after averaging 16.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. As a senior, Olivier averaged 20.2 points and 9.2 rebounds.

    Her coaching career began at UNLV as a graduate assistant in the 1981-82 season.

    Olivier eventually rose to head coach at UCLA, where she guided the program for the past 15 seasons. She went 232-208, leading the Bruins to five NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight in 1999.

    Olivier resigned after the Bruins finished 16-15 this past season to head into administration. She previously said she loved UCLA, but UNLV was the one school that could lure her from the Westwood campus.

    "Vegas was very good to me, and I learned a lot and became the person I am because of Las Vegas," Olivier said.

    She was the first of six candidates to interview on campus.

    The others were Washington assistant Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, Texas-El Paso coach Keitha Adams, Northern Arizona coach Laurie Kelly, South Florida coach Jose Fernandez and Rutgers assistant Carlene Mitchell.

    Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 10 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    UNLV res wrote on April 23, 2008 10:28 PM: So seriously? Linkous and Olivier? Who the heck is Linkous? What is she the secratary in the woman's basketball office or the janitor? Who the heck knows this girl?
    I am excited about Olivier but as far as I am concerned Linkous (or also known as Adrian's friend) needs to grow up and get a life.
    Anyway good luck Lady Rebels, they have got to do better, can't get much worse than this past season! :) I am sad that Holmes is gone, that's 75% of the team :) Well good luck to her in Houston

    Ok Out


    Amanda wrote on April 23, 2008 03:02 PM: So here it is...thought someone was pulling my leg! AD, the timing of your accusation is impeccable as today in both Las Vegas papers you will see that I am not the only one who knows what went on at UNLV. I am sorry to hear that you don't like me, as we have never met. My time spent at UNLV was as a student assistant. There is only so much opportunity for someone in such role. I was there until the completion of my degree program which fell at an inopportune time in the Lady Rebel program. It is interesting that you mention "can't wait for Coach Olivier and Linkous" because there is no such. A program is never about the Director of Operations...maybe that was the problem... It's about Coach Olivier (or whoever the head coach may be). It is her ship to sail. Either you're onboard or not with the head coach. And if you're not, jump ship because a ship that lacks balance does not sail, as we all know.


    ADRIAN wrote on April 22, 2008 06:49 PM: ATTENTION AMANDA VAN ZEBEN - STOP CALLING PEOPLE OUT UNDER A FALSE NAME. IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THAT'S FINE, BUT AT LEAST ADMIT THAT IT IS YOU. EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S YOU. EVEN THE PLAYERS - WE ALL DON'T LIKE YOU. TALK ABOUT CAUSING DRAMA - NO WONDER REGINA FIRED YOU. CAN'T WAIT FOR COACH OLIVIER AND LINKOUS.


    The Urban Pirate!! wrote on April 22, 2008 04:01 PM: Olivier is "the very best coach" UNLV could have possibly hired for this position? What could have been so convincing about about this hire, besides that she played for UNLV? She coached UCLA forever and had some good players...but couldn't ever really get over the hump, even in a recruiting hotbed...it's hard to see anything amazing happening here at UNLV...ouch.


    RE BELS, RE BELS, RE BELS wrote on April 21, 2008 06:55 PM: WELCOME BACK TO VEGAS, COACH, SIN CITY AWAITS!

    NOW LETS TALK, L REB TO L REB 1st order of biz SEND MS LINKOUS PACKIN' say what? YES MA'AM PACK HER UP AND OUT THE DOOR. YOU DO NOT WANT THAT DRAMA! say what? DRAMA! CONSPIRACY THEORY P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N for the playas to sign to out COACH MILLA YEP, SHE STARTED IT. 2nd order of biz RECRUIT! BRINGS SOME PLAYAS TO MACK oops COX! 3rd order of biz WIN 'EM LIKE YOU DID 'EM BACK IN UR DAY. PEACE


    randy wrote on April 21, 2008 03:10 PM: u got 2 b kidding me!! She was forced out of UCLA and u bring her here, as the savior. what a joke. she was 24 games over .500 in the pac 10. if she can't get the top girls in CALIFORNIA to come to UCLA, what makes u think she can get them to the big bad mountain west? stop the madness. we know what this was. nothing but a pr move. i guess u can't do any worse than miller, but this isn't exactly a jump in coaching talent!! i didn't even see rick glenn as a canadate, what the heck is that about? he was the one who recruited te best team ever at UNLV. u should have at least gave him an interview. hammrick, u need help!! the only reason u r still there is because kruger is winning. football hasn't done anything and no other team except volleyball won anything. come on, u should be able to sell out the cox every game, but i guess u must need a write off, becasue of all the money u r losing there. once again, take another step backwards. hope she doen't leave after 3 years and you'll be in the same position u r in now. RICK GLENN!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    The Donald wrote on April 21, 2008 02:44 PM: From UCLA to UNLV? Isn't that about 3 steps backwards? Hello????


    Gary wrote on April 21, 2008 11:53 AM: Sound like a good fit!


    Ron wrote on April 21, 2008 08:48 AM: Olivier Who??????? Who really cares anyway.


    WTF wrote on April 21, 2008 08:02 AM: One fired coach replacing another