December 3, 1998

Opening Statement by New UNLV Football Head Coach John Robinson:

"We are really happy to be here. In doing any adventure, your family is very important in the whole scheme of things for any of us. We're very excited about being here and being a part of this community and a part of UNLV."

"Timing is a big part of anything that happens in our lives. I think the timing for me was just perfect for this particular job. I've really gotten a sense in the last two weeks that this city is on the move, this university is on the move, the conference that we are in (UNLV is leaving the WAC to join the new Mountain West Conference next season) is certainly one of the most rapidly expanding conferences and moving upward in America in 10 years. The Mountain West Conference is going to be the equal of any conference in America. That is a safe bet."

"I had a chance to meet with (UNLV Director of Athletics) Charlie (Cavagnaro) and we got along well. We shared a common vision about what we think we can do. Obviously, we have to change. The coaching staff that was here, I always respected them. They almost beat us down in L.A. a couple of years ago. They have worked very hard at what they've done. I've been convinced by both the President (Dr. Carol C. Harter) and the Athletic Director that UNLV football is going to be on the move, that they want to do the things that are necessary for us to reach the fullest potential that we can. How high that is? I think it would be ridiculous for us to make some lofty predictions. We're not going to make predictions. We are going to be on the move. We are going to be second to none. We are going to recruit the best players we can and we are going to compete at the highest possible level that we can."

"Certainly, in taking this job, recruiting is important. I come from a big population area in Southern California and I think we will have success in that area. We must recruit good athletes and good students anywhere that they are. Whether it be here in this city or anywhere in this state or anywhere in the West. It seems really important that everybody understand that for us to be successful, the men on our squad now are going to be the first people that have an impact on the improvement of our team. We have to come with men that are there. We are going to succeed with them. If any of you are out there (in the audience), get ready. We're going to do it with these people, we're going to have fun, we're going to have a vision of success and we're going to get a lot of things done."

"Any adventure or any opportunity you have to gamble yourself, is the best thing you can do. There's a certain gamble in coming here. People have asked me, 'Why are you doing this?' Because it gives us the chance to put ourselves on the line. Every athlete, every person, every one of you are all at our best when we are on the line. When we accept a challenge and do what ever we can to meet it."

"I don't have a specific plan that I want to share with you right now, but I do want to share with all of you, as soon as possible, the things that we think we can accomplish. We are going to make strides, we are going to work tirelessly. As I told somebody on the committee last night, 'Get four people together and I'll come and talk to them. You've got to feed me but I'll come and talk to them.' I'll do anything I can to make this program work. When we landed yesterday at the airport, there was a retired New York cop who was a baggage guy at the airport. He said are you going to take this job? And I said, if I do are you going to come to the games? He said are you going to win? I said you're damn right we are. He said okay I'll go to the games. I should have had a season ticket application for him."

"There isn't going to be room for people who don't want to have a fanatical belief. Certainly, it's going to be very simple to sit back and say, 'Well we'll wait and see if these clowns can do it or not, then I'll jump on board.' You'll be too late. We want people who want to enjoy the adventure of trying to do something great now. It'll take time. We know that. There will be those who, as we start out, won't want to stay the course. We're going to get a plan and we're going to stay the course. We're going to make the people of Las Vegas proud of this football team and the football teams that come. "

"We're (Coach Robinson and his wife, Linda) excited about living here. We're going to go out and buy a home. We're going to make this some of the best times of our lives. I'm very excited about what we propose to do. We've got to prove it. That's the great thing about sports -- you have to prove it."

Questions and answers from the press conference:

Q: Is there commitment from the top to turning the program around, such as at Kansas State?

UNLV President Dr. Carol C. Harter: "I don't think Coach Robinson would have come to join use if he didn't believe the commitment was there at the top."

Robinson: "The school spent $18 million on (renovating) the stadium. There are a lot of things that have happened prior to me that set the stage for it. The key is not financial. The key is the state of mind and the vision that we have, it's always that. As we move forward we're going to have to have the support that we need. If you make a comment about Kansas State or a comparison, that's the comparison that I would like to make. In college football right now, it can happen. 20 years ago it couldn't happen. The powers were the powers and the have nots were the have nots and it stayed that way. That's not true now."

Q: On Recruiting

Robinson: "This is the fastest growing city in America. If you're a parent and you send your son or daughter to school here, there's a good chance they're going to find a job when they graduate. This is a new university and it is on the move. I think you've got to go out and talk to people about taking a risk. If you're a young person looking to the future, where to live and where to go to have a good life, I think most of you have made that decision (in coming to live in Las Vegas). We're going to be as aggressive as we can."

Q: On the Current UNLV Players

Robinson: "I don't know much about the personnel. Other than, I'm sure it's been painful for them. Losing is one of the most painful things you can ever have happen to you. There isn't an athlete in the world that hasn't lost. What it does to your self-image is just horrible. I don't care what level it is it's bad. I don't care how big they are or how fast they are. If I can shake hands with each one of them and look in their eyes and say, 'Are you willing to do this?' we're going to win."

Q: Is this the biggest coaching challenge of your career?

Robinson: "Yes but they all are. I worked with the (Los Angeles) Rams and that was a big challenge. When I was hired at USC the first time nobody knew who the hell I was. When I went back the second time there was a challenge there. I think it's a challenge every time. How much, I don't know."

Q: How surprised are you that you are here?

Robinson: "Not really (surprised). I've had other career things in mind. In terms of what I really wanted to do, I think coaching is always what I wanted to do and it's what I'm good at."

Q: About Competition in the Mountain West.

Robinson: "I can't give a scale to it. I think it's pretty darn good. I think football now is squeezing up from the bottom in terms of competitiveness in college football."

Q: Would you be disappointed if in three years you didn't turn this thing around?

Robinson: "Yes. You have to ask me about a time frame. I have to deal with a state of mind. I have to deal with the football players on our team and how they think, how they believe, how they feel about themselves, how all of the people that are supporters of our program feel. That's the turnaround. How that is defined in terms of when you got to win, you don't play these games to feel good after a nice loss, you want to win. How quickly we realistically can do that, that's up to me and that's up to the football team and it's up to the state of mind of the people here. How quickly that happens, we'll all know. You'll know, you'll know."