STRENGTH & CONDITIONING POWER BEHIND THE PROGRAM MIKE GERBER Strength & Conditioning Coach UNLV football’s strength and conditioning program is now under the guid- ance of veteran coach Mike Gerber. “The goal of the UNLV football strength & conditioning program is to maxi- mize those physical traits that excellence in the sport demands,” Gerber said. “Football is a game of relatively short but extremely intense efforts requiring great power production. Because of this, the core of the program is made up of the Olympic Weightlifting movements. Run speed develop- ment and conditioning also follow the dictates of the game’s physical demands. Emphasis is placed especially on initial acceleration because most sprinting in football is relatively short. Conditioning is made up largely of position-specific movement patterns done in series of all-out effort with the quantity of work similar to a long football drive.” The Ernie Becker Sr. Strength and Conditioning Center’s 8,500- square-foot deck features free weights, power racks and Olympian The covered agility drills area platforms. The 1,200-square-foot second level offers stretching and aerobic features 3,000 square feet of areas catered to each sport. The room also features a premium sound system artificial turf. to further enhance the workout experience. More than 60 weight stations cover the state-of-the-art flooring inside the Ernie Becker Sr. Strength & Conditioning Center. 2 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT REBELS WEAR ONLY THE BEST UNLV’S All-New Bill Ireland Locker Room 114 custom-made player lockers fill the Bill Ireland Locker Room inside the Lied Athletic Complex. PAUL PUCCIARELLI Director Now in his 27th year overseeing the equipment department for UNLV, Paul Pucciarelli says he and the school are committed to outfitting players to be both safe and stylish on the football field. “My philosophy behind equipment is that student-athletes have enough problems, that is, they have to compete in the classroom and on the field — worrying about equipment shouldn’t be a problem,” says Pucciarelli, widely known as Pooch. “Our players are lucky because of the system we have set up here. The athletic department and the university provide us a tremendous support group.” The Lied Athletic Complex’s 10,000-square-foot, two-sided equipment room gives all 17 UNLV sports the services of an immense facility designed with the student-athlete in mind. In one of 19 team and staff locker rooms, players and coaches can simply drop off their uniforms at the end of a practice or competition. The next day a clean version will be waiting for pickup in personally assigned lockers located in a wall surrounding the equipment room. Nike is the exclusive products supplier and sponsor of UNLV Athletics SPORTS MEDICINE THE FINEST CARE The Marilyn & Si Redd Sports Medicine Complex sprawls over an 8,500- square-foot area. KYLE WILSON Director Providing the best possible preventative and rehabilitative care, A skylight welcomes natural light the UNLV football athletic training staff is headed by Director of Athletic into the rehabilitation room. Training Kyle Wilson. Made possible by a generous gift of $1.5 million from Marilyn and Si Redd, the Lied Athletic Complex’s athletic training facility incorporates the total scope of sports medicine over an 8,500-square-foot area. Aside from five staff offices, a rehabilitation room houses a dozen pieces of equipment including Cybex stationary bicycles, stair machines and treadmills, all under a natural skylight. The largest area features a dozen tables to offer student-athletes various treatments throughout the day. Taping, padding and bracing all take place in another all-inclusive room. Finally, an aquatic therapy room features three above-ground whirl- pools surrounding a 10-feet deep pool for rehabilitative exercises. An aquatic therapy room includes a rehab pool. 4 TRAINING FACILITY PALATIAL PRACTICE PARK The All-New Ernie Becker Sr. Football Fields at Bill “Wildcat” Morris Rebel Park The UBU synthetic sports surface covers two full football fields on campus. ne of college football’s largest and most impressive areas of its kind, Bill “Wildcat” Morris Rebel Park has been transformed into an athletic showcase over the past decade. In 2010, Oa state-of-the-art UBU synthetic surface was installed at a cost of $700,000. The artificial surface was originally installed in 2002 thanks to a $1 million gift from the family of Ernie Becker Sr. A completely new lighting system soon followed. Also, Bruce Bayne of Peccole Nevada and Ernie Becker Jr. helped develop an all-new grand entrance to the park, complete with pine trees, desert rocks and an archway. The palm-tree-lined area includes two full-sized practice fields. Also, Terry Manley of Champion Homes is responsible for the UNLV Football Manley Corner, which welcomes visitors, staff and student-athletes onto campus and into the heart of Rebel Football. 5 ACADEMICS IN THE COMMUNITY RECORD CLASSROOM SUCCESS dozen UNLV football players were named to the 2010 Academic All- UNLV ACADEMIC Mountain West team, which highlighted another strong year in the Aclassroom by the Rebels. Marking the 12th consecutive season that at ALL-CONFERENCE least seven UNLV players appeared on the academic team, the total number of 2010-MW (12) Evan Marchal, OL David Olsen, DB honorees was the fourth-most ever recorded by the program (the high mark David Blair, LB Marquel Martin, DB Derek Olsen, LB is 20 set in 2008.) Ian Bobak, DL Mike McKiski, OL Toby Smeltzer, WR Tyler Gaston, DL Sifa Moala, OL Chameion Sutton, DB In fact, academic advising for football, which boasts multiple full-time Tim Hasson, LB Matt Murphy, OL advisors, has helped produce 140 such honorees since the school joined the Tate Knutson, WR Richie Plunkett, OL 2001-MW (7) Mountain West in 1999. One player – OL Matt Murphy – ended his college career Brendon Lamers, P Ryan Wolfe, WR Joe Haro, RB Matt Murphy, OL Ryan Worthen, TE Kurt Nantkes, QB as a rare four-time conference academic honoree while two other veterans – WR Kjelby Oiland, DL Derek Olsen, DB Tate Knutson and LB Beau Orth – picked up their third such honor. Beau Orth, LB 2006-MW (14) Dillon Pieffer, PK In addition, six Rebel gridders earned spots on the UNLV Dean’s List dur- Aaron Reed, WR Rodelin Anthony, WR Hubi Schulze Zumkley, PK Travis Trickey, LB KC Asiodu, LB Toby Smeltzer, WR ing 2010-11. In 2009, the program placed a player on the CoSIDA Academic Anthony Vidal, TE Chris Butler, TE Trevan Sorensen, DE All-District First Team for unprecedented third consecutive season. Tony Cade, DB 2009-MW (17) Casey Flair, WR 2000-MW (9) Rodelin Anthony, WR Jacob Hales, DL Bill Cofer, LB REBELS ON THE UNLV Mark Barefield, WR Mario Jeberaeel, OL John Greer, OL Flair David Blair, LB Maquel Martin, DB Ryan Hanson, QB DEAN’S LIST 2010-11 Omar Clayton, QB Mike McKiski, OL Joe Haro, DB Trent Allmang-Wilder Mike Donato, OL Aaron Mueller, C Joel Menendez, OL David Blair John Gianninoto, OL Aaron Straiten, WR Dillon Pieffer, PK Kamu Kapanui, LS Ryan Tillman, DB Nate Rydalch, WR Sean Miller Tate Knutson, WR Ryan Wolfe, WR Toby Smeltzer, DB Quinton Pointer Andrew Mack, OL Ryan Worthen, FB Trevan Sorensen, TE Travis Trickey Marquel Martin, DB Anthony Vidal Matt Murphy, OL 2005-MW (7) 1999-MW (11) Beau Orth, LB Casey Flair, WR Bill Cofer, LB Ryan Tillman, DB Jacob Hales, DE BJ Edwards, FB Travis Trickey, LB Ryan Heise, DL Kris Fisher, TE Shane Watterson, OL Jarrod Jackson, QB John Greer, OL One of the top student-athletes in UNLV history, record-setting receiver Ryan Wolfe, WR Kamu Kapanui, FB Joe Haro, RB Casey Flair (above) in 2009 became the first Rebel gridder to twice be named Doug Zismann, OL Mike McKiski, OL Blake Livingood, OL to the Academic All-District First Team, which is voted on by the College Ryan Worthen, FB Tim O’Reilly, PK 2008-MW (20) Jason Palmucci, LB Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Rodelin Anthony, WR 2004-MW (8) Danny Pacheco, OL Omar Clayton, QB Reggie Butler, LB Nate Rydalch, WR C.J. Cox, RB Tyler Crandal, OL Toby Smeltzer, DB Mike Donato, OL Michael Freund, TE Casey Flair, WR Tim Goins, OL 1998-WAC (5) Jacob Hales, DL Mike McKiski, OL Kawika Batoon, DB Ben Jaekle, PK Kurt Nantkes, QB Brandon Ellena, OL Mario Jeberaeel, OL Hubi Schulze Zumkley, PK John Greer, OL Kamu Kapanui, LS Ryan Welter, LB Blake Livingood, OL Terrance Lee, DB Tim O’Reilly, PK Evan Marchal, OL 2003-MW (10) Matt Murphy, OL Reggie Butler, LB 1997-WAC (8) Beau Orth, LB Ryan Claridge, LB Kawika Batoon, DB Phillip Payne, WR Tyler Crandal, OL Rob Bone, QB Deante’ Purvis, DB Larry Croom, RB Brandon Ellena, OL Martin Tevaseu, DL Chris Eagen, DE John Greer, OL Ryan Tillman, DB Michael Freund, TE Tim O’Reilly, PK Ryan Wolfe, WR Kurt Nantkes, QB Mac Smith, OL Rusty Worthen, LB David Olsen, DB Chad Reed, QB Ryan Worthen, RB Derek Olsen, DB Mike Reily, OL Dillon Pieffer, PK 2007-MW (16) 1996-WAC (3) Rodelin Anthony, WR 2002-MW (9) Rob Bone, QB All-time UNLV and MW receptions Omar Clayton, QB Bill Cofer, LB Mike Reily, OL Casey Flair, WR Larry Croom, RB Mac Smith, OL leader Ryan Wolfe played the 2009 John Gianninoto, OL Michael Freund, TE season as a graduate student after Jacob Hales, DL Joe Haro, RB 1995-BIG WEST (3) having earned his bachelor’s degree. Shane Horton, DB Kurt Nantkes, QB Rob Bone, QB Mario Jeberaeel, OL Mike Reily, OL Tate Knutson, WR David White, TE 6 IN THE COMMUNITY REBELS FOR A CAUSE NLV and its student-athletes are committed to success both on and off the fields of play.