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One area where UNLV really jumps out in terms of its performance this season is in pass defense. The Rebels lead the Mountain West in passing defense with an average of 214.5 yards allowed a game, more than 10 yards less allowed a game than any other team in the league. The Rebels opponents are completing just 51.7 percent of their passes. UNLV is also plus-6 in turnover margin and also ranks second in the Mountain West in penalty yards at 386 on the season. Kenneth Penny, a junior from Lancaster, ranks second in the Mountain West in passes defended with an average of 1.33 per game. In a lot of ways, UNLV sounds a lot like UNT. And the Rebels are loaded with Texas players. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/12/a-look-at-unlv.html/

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/bowls/predictions

t was hard not to get caught up in super salesman Neal Smatresk’s high-energy spiel. Wherever UNLV’s new president spoke, the air felt overcaffeinated. Smatresk was a drum major with a remarkable gift of gab, a genuine one-man pep rally. By the time the guy finished firing up the townsfolk, they were tempted to follow him down the street like rubes from “The Music Man.” When Smatresk said, “Ya got trouble,” he was very persuasive. Despite the obvious fiscal and political obstacles, he appeared supremely confident — even unflappable. He was so excited to lead UNLV through its economic storm and into its bright future, he couldn’t wait to get started. That was back in August 2009. Barely four years later, Smatresk just closed the deal on the president’s job at the University of North Texas, Denton. Las Vegas townies are still tuning up their trombones, but our music man is moving on. Read more: http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/john-l-smith/unlvs-music-man-moves

Last week, UNLV President Neal Smatresk announced plans to become the president of the University of North Texas. The news came as a great shock to many Southern Nevadans, as the search process under way at the school 40 miles north of Dallas remained confidential. Smatresk said he would resign from UNLV after his likely confirmation next month by the University of North Texas Board of Regents. The decision to leave UNLV after four years at its helm came about, Smatresk said, because of his family in Texas. In a letter to the university community, the popular and well-liked president said his children and granddaughter in Texas have been “pulling on my heartstrings.” The Sun spoke with Smatresk after his announcement to talk about his decision, his legacy and his hopes for the university he leaves behind. Why did you decide to become president of the University of North Texas? I wasn’t looking for a job. I’ve been happy here. I love this city, I love this university and I really believe in our mission. I felt that (my wife) Debbie and I have been blessed with incredible support from this community. So when UNT called me for the first time about two months ago, I said, "I’m not sure I’m interested." I didn’t think a lot about it after. But then, they called a second time and worked hard to convince me that this was an opportunity I should take seriously. It was just after my grandbaby had been born, so I started thinking that would be a neat place to go back to. It’s a pretty good institution, like UNLV, but in a different setting. I liked what I saw in their leadership and the promise of their university. I feel that when you can take a skill set I’ve developed, which is connecting the university to the community, and the fact that my family could be whole again, it became an irresistible thought. I think it will be a good fit. Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/nov/26/outgoing-president-pinpoints/

When Neal Smatresk took the helm of UNLV four years ago, Nevadas largest university was embroiled in turmoil. Its former president had been ousted by the Nevada Board of Regents amid conflicting management styles and controversy. Moreover, UNLV was suffering from one of the worst recessions in American history, slashing programs and faculty while raising tuition and fees on students. Smatresk could have weathered the economic storm with his head down, hatches battened down. But he didnt. Instead, Smatresk dreamed large and created a transformative vision that many say gave the university and Las Vegas a reason to hope in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Neal carried us through a tough time, said Regent Cedric Creer, a Las Vegas advertising executive who chaired Smatresks evaluation committee earlier this year. Neal has done a good job, despite the budget constraints. He was the right guy at the right time for UNLV. Smatresks sudden announcement Wednesday that he intends to leave UNLV to become the president of the University of North Texas near Dallas came as a great shock to Southern Nevadans. Most understood the reason Smatresk gave for his decision, enumerated in a short letter to faculty sent mid-afternoon Wednesday. Smatresk, a Texas native who was educated and worked for two decades at Texas universities, wanted to live and work closer family in the Lone Star State, particularly his two children and a newborn granddaughter. Yet amid increasing turnover in Nevadas education leadership, some speculated that perhaps inadequate education funding, the states unique geopolitical strife or the slow pace of change had contributed in part to Smatresks decision to leave. Smatresk, who was in Texas on Wednesday, didnt return calls for comment. Whatever the reason, Smatresk will be leaving UNLV and Nevada with a legacy of big, half-finished dreams that a new leader will be entrusted to shepherd to completion. UNLV and state leaders say Smatresk will transfer his vision to capable hands: a strong team of university administrators handpicked by the president. However, most officials admit their charismatic and well-liked leaders departure represents a major loss for the aspirational university. Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/nov/21/charismatic-smatresk-leaves-legacy-bold-ideas-unlv/

LAS VEGAS -- 8 News NOW has learned that UNLV president Neal Smatresk will be the new president of the University of North Texas. An announcement is expected to be made today. Read more: http://www.8newsnow.com/story/24022959/breaking-news-unlv-president-neal-smatresk-to-leave-job

UNT is growing like crazy. I exepect them to do sort of what Central Florida has done in the past 10-years. I liked Smatresk and thought he did a good job at UNLV, considering. He made a big mistake hiring Livengood in the first place, but then again he was our 2nd choice and he really wanted to hire Moos. Oh well, good luck to Neal, he's going to a much better job imo. UNLV is a dysfunctional mess. Read more: http://www.mwcboard.com/index.php?s=cb9577c9714edefe932446d83186ca3d&showtopic=51017

About Neal Smatresk Dr. Neal J. Smatresk was appointed president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Aug. 6, 2009. Under his direction, UNLV has hit a number of milestones and academic achievements, positioning the university as a leader in the dynamic Intermountain West. Smatresk helped wrap up a record-breaking $537 million fundraising campaign, the largest campaign in the history of Nevada’s higher education system. His efforts, in particular, led to a $12.6 million donation from the Engelstad Family Foundation to support what is now the largest active scholarship program in the university's 52-year history. He also secured a donation from the Lincy Foundation to establish The Lincy Institute, and he forged a partnership with the highly respected Brookings Institution to establish its first foray west of the Mississippi: UNLV’s Brookings Mountain West. Together, Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute provide UNLV with a comprehensive platform for addressing education, health care, social systems, and public policy. Smatresk emphasizes UNLV’s role in improving educational access and success for diverse students, garnering the research and innovation needed to diversify Southern Nevada’s economic base, and supplying critically needed services for this dynamic region. UNLV’s Solar and Renewable Energy Initiative, which includes the state’s first academic minor in solar and renewable energy, serves as a testament to his vision. Smatresk’s career at UNLV began in 2007, when he was named executive vice president and provost after a national search. He was responsible for leadership and administration of all academic and research programs, spanning 15 colleges and two professional schools. A biology major, Smatresk graduated from Gettysburg College in 1973 and received a master’s degree in biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He received his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. Following post-doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he joined the University of Texas, Arlington (UTA) department of biology in 1982. In his 22 years at UTA, he served as chair of biology and later dean of science, until his appointment as the chief academic officer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2004. Under his tenure there, Manoa entered the ranks of the top 25 federally funded institutions, gained three National Academy of Science members, and received recognition from the Chinese Ministry of Education as a Confucius Institute, an honor shared by only 11 other U.S. institutions. In addition to his teaching and administrative roles, Smatresk has devoted considerable effort to kindergarten to doctorate (K-20) science outreach programs and teacher professional development. He has participated in a number of consortia focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career development. Smatresk has received a number of teaching awards, and his research in cardiorespiratory physiology has resulted in more than 50 papers and book chapters, and grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. His undergraduate alma mater, Gettysburg College, awarded him a Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award in 2011. Read more: http://www.unlv.edu/president/about This post has been promoted to an article

This was sent out to the entire UNLV Community. Dear Campus Community, For the past seven years, Debbie and I have given our all to UNLV. We never thought this would be our last stop, but we never once considered other opportunities that presented themselves. However, in the past few months an opportunity arose that I was encouraged to explore. Today I am being named the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of North Texas, pending approval by the UNT Board of Regents. Both of our children and our grandchild are in Texas, and with our son’s growing family and our daughter’s upcoming marriage, Texas has been pulling on our heartstrings. UNT is a great university, in many ways similar to UNLV – its student population is growing in size and quality, its research endeavors are expanding and it’s vitally important to the economic strength of the Dallas-Fort Worth Region. Serving as UNT’s president will allow me to combine an opportunity, the skills I have developed, and our family life all in one place. While I am excited to work with another institution that is rising on the national stage, this is a bittersweet moment for both Debbie and me. We will miss the faculty, staff, students, and community—we could not ask for better colleagues and friends. Thank you all for your talent, vision and perseverance. UNLV and Las Vegas are stronger, more vibrant and more united than ever before, with many exciting pieces of our vision coming together. I am confident in you, the future of this university and this region—UNLV is a rising star. Thank you for your support and know that UNLV will always be in my heart. Sincerely, Neal J. Smatresk President Read more: http://virtual-rebel.com/2013/11/20/a-message-for-the-unlv-community-from-president-neal-smatresk/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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