UNLV Athletics Hall Of Fame
The first coach to be elected to the hall since 2004, longtime men's and women's track and field head man Al McDaniels (1975-92) forged some of the most successful results of any UNLV sport. Having joined UNLV in 1970 as an assistant track and football coach, he was elevated to head coach of both the men's and women's programs in 1975 (the Rebel men's track program was dropped in the early 1980s). He guided his women's squads to five Big West Conference championships and produced more than 60 individual champions and 40 All-Americans. He produced two NCAA Champions: 1984 heptathlon winner Sheila Tarr and 1987 1,000-meter indoor champ Trena Hull, while six Lady Rebels were named BWC Athlete of the Year under his watch. Named conference coach of the year four times, McDaniels saw his women's teams earn four top-25 national indoor finishes and two outdoor efforts, including a program-best sixth at the 1992 NCAA event. A graduate of Nevada, Reno, McDaniels earned his master's degree from UNLV and has taught at the school for many years, including serving as the Director of Physical Education Activities from 1998-2004.
