LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - New UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez officially announced his staff on Monday and the list of names includes college assistants from around the nation and a few familiar faces.

The Rebels' new coordinators are decorated veteran coaches on the highest level of the college game. Offensive coordinator Barney Cotton is currently the interim head coach at the University of Nebraska and will lead the Cornhuskers through their appearance in the Holiday Bowl against USC on Dec. 27. Defensive coordinator Kent Baer just finished his second season in the same role at the University of Colorado and has served as coordinator at five Pac-12 Conference schools as well as Notre Dame during his impressive career.

"I'm excited about this staff because of the years of experience and also the success that they've had in their careers," Sanchez said. "Bringing this group of gentlemen in not only gives us excellent football coaches but also great mentors to our kids and people who will represent this University in a positive way. I couldn't be more excited about the staff and their commitment to my vision and the vision of UNLV and where we're moving. They are going to help us build UNLV Football into a winning program."

POSITION - NAME (2014 SCHOOL)
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends - Barney Cotton (Nebraska)Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator - John Garrison (Nebraska)Running Backs - Jamie Christian (Houston)Wide Receivers - Cedric Cormier (UNLV)Quarterbacks - Ron O'Dell (Bishop Gorman HS)
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers - Kent Baer (Colorado)Defensive Line - Joe Seumalo (Oregon State)Safeties/Special Teams Coordinator - Andy LaRussa (Colorado)Cornerbacks - J.D. Williams (Georgia State)
Strength & Conditioning Coach - Keith Belton (USC)

Barney Cotton - Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Cotton is currently serving as interim head coach at Nebraska after having spent his eighth overall season on the Husker staff as associate head coach, run game coordinator and tight ends/offensive line coach. Cotton helped the Huskers finish in the top 20 nationally in rushing in each of the past five years, while producing a 1,000-yard rusher for six straight seasons. Nebraska finished the regular season ranked 16th in the nation in rushing at 248.3 yards per game. Cotton owns nearly two decades of experience as a collegiate head coach or offensive coordinator. After stops at St. Cloud State and Hastings College (as head coach), Cotton became offensive coordinator at the FBS level for the first time at New Mexico State (1997-2002) before serving in the same position at Nebraska in 2003. He stayed in the Big 12 Conference from 2004-06, spending three seasons as coordinator for Iowa State before returning to Lincoln to begin his current stint in 2008. Cotton played under the legendary Tom Osborne at Nebraska from 1975-78 and was a third round pick by Cincinnati, playing a season for the Bengals and three more for the St. Louis Cardinals. He earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska in 1983 and his master's from St. Cloud State in 1994.

John Garrison - Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator Before coming to UNLV, John Garrison will complete his fourth season as a Nebraska assistant coach, serving as the offensive line coach for the Huskers through their Dec. 27 appearance in the Holiday Bowl against USC. Garrison has been a member of the Husker coaching staff since 2008, working as an intern with the Nebraska offense for the first three seasons. Garrison's offensive line paved the way for another big rushing season for the Huskers in 2014 as Nebraska ranks 16th nationally with an average of 248.3 rushing yards per game. Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah earned second team All-America honors this fall after compiling 1,523 yards and 18 scores on the ground. That followed a 2013 season of 1,690 yards. A former Husker lineman himself, Garrison was the starting center for the 2001 squad that made an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game and snapped to Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Eric Crouch. A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Garrison graduated from Nebraska in 2003.

Jamie Christian - Running Backs Christian comes to UNLV after serving as the special teams coordinator and inside receivers and tight ends coach at Houston. Before joining the Cougars in 2012, Christian spent five seasons coaching the special teams, running backs and tight ends at Arizona State, including mentoring 2007 Lou Groza Award winner Thomas Weber. A former fullback at Fresno State and Central Washington, Christian has strong recruiting ties to California, Houston and Louisiana and was named to Rivals' top recruiters list in 2013. Christian was an assistant coach for the Sun Devils from 2007-11 after previous stops at Idaho (2006), Sacramento State (2005) and Northern Arizona (2002). He also served as the defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2003-04.

Cedric Cormier - Wide Receivers Cormier is the only coach retained from the previous coaching staff by Sanchez and will continue his position as wide receivers coach for UNLV. The Rebels receiving corps has seen tremendous success under Cormier, including recruiting and developing record-setting wideout Devante Davis, who wrapped up his career this fall. In 2014, receiver Devonte Boyd earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors under Cormier's watch. The Houston native has also been successful in recruiting players from Texas, notably Davis and UNLV's all-time leading rusher Tim Cornett. Cormier came to UNLV after serving as the wide receivers coach at Miami (OH) (2009) and at Montana (2007-08). He was a four-year letterman as a receiver at Colorado from 1998-2001.

Ron O'Dell - Quarterbacks O'Dell joined head coach Tony Sanchez in coming to UNLV from national powerhouse high school program Bishop Gorman. He will coach the Rebels' quarterbacks after serving in that same role for the top-ranked Gaels since 2009. O'Dell's pupils include Anu Solomon, who passed for 3,458 yards as a freshman at Arizona in 2014. This season O'Dell coached Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year Tate Martell, who led Bishop Gorman to an undefeated record and No. 1 national ranking while throwing 40 touchdowns against just two interceptions. O'Dell was the position coach of Aaron Rodgers while both were at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif. O'Dell earned his bachelor's degree from Chico State in 2001 and went on to serve as a graduate assistant coach at University of Redlands and then Illinois.

Kent Baer - Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Baer just completed his second season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Colorado after coaching the previous five years at San Jose State, including three as coordinator (2010-12). In fact, UNLV is the 10th FBS program at which Baer is serving as defensive coordinator, as he held that title for 29 combined seasons, in order, at Utah State, Idaho, California, Arizona State, Stanford, Notre Dame, Washington, San Jose State and Colorado. During his time in South Bend, Baer was one of five finalists for the 2002 Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top assistant. He has coached under several of the game's outstanding head coaches, including Bruce Snyder (at Utah State, Cal and Arizona State), Tyrone Willingham (Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington) and Dick Tomey (SJSU). A veteran of nine bowl games, Baer twice served as interim head coach in the postseason, winning the 2012 Military Bowl while leading SJSU and losing the 2004 Insight Bowl while leading Notre Dame. A native of Utah, he was a standout linebacker at Utah State and earned his bachelor's degree from the school in 1973.

Joe Seumalo - Defensive Line Seumalo (pronounced "say-u-MAH-lo") comes to UNLV after having served as the defensive line coach at Oregon State since 2006. In his time with the Beavers he developed some of the school's best linemen. In 2013, Rivals tabbed him as one of the top recruiters in the Pac-12 Conference. In 2011 he tutored consensus All-American Stephen Paea, who won the Morris Trophy presented to the Pac-12's top defensive lineman and became a second round draft pick by the Chicago Bears. Seumalo also was an assistant coach at San Jose State (2005), Cal Poly (2001-04) and Hawai'i (1999-2000). He was a defensive lineman at Hawai'i from 1985 through 1988 and earned second team All-WAC as a senior before playing in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Roughriders and the Edmonton Eskimos; and then for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe.

Andy LaRussa - Safeties/Special Teams Coordinator LaRussa is one of two former UNLV staffers returning to coach in the secondary for Tony Sanchez. He has spent the last two seasons at Colorado, overseeing the cornerbacks in 2014 and the defensive ends in 2013. He moved to Boulder after two seasons at San Jose State coaching the cornerbacks and serving as assistant special teams coordinator for the Spartans. His first assistant job came at Northern Arizona in 2009-10 after spending four seasons as a defensive graduate assistant for the Rebels from 2005-08. LaRussa played for two seasons at Glendale (Calif.) College before transferring to Southern Utah, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2002. He played professionally for a brief time with the Ostia Marines of NFL Italy and also was a member of the Italian National Team.

J.D. Williams - Cornerbacks Williams rejoins UNLV after recently serving as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Georgia State. He was an assistant with the Rebels from 2010-12 and served as the defensive coordinator in his final season. Williams has also been an assistant coach at Utah (2008), Washington (2006-08), California (2002-05), Fresno State (2000-01), Cal Poly (1999) and San Jose State (1998). Williams was a standout cornerback for Fresno State and earned second team All-America honors. He was the 16th overall draft choice by the Buffalo in the 1990 NFL draft and went on to play in four Super Bowls with the Bills. He also played for the Cardinals and the 49ers before his career ended after the 1996 season.

Keith Belton - Strength & Conditioning Belton comes to UNLV to lead the football program's strength and conditioning program after spending the 2014 season as assistant strength coach at USC. He joined the Trojans after working two years as an assistant strength coach at Washington. The Syracuse graduate moved to the Pac-12 Conference in 2012 after two seasons as an assistant at Baylor.