UNLV Hires College of Southern Nevada Baseball Coach Tim Chambers

Tim Chambers signed on to take over UNLV's stumbling baseball program after leading his College of Southern Nevada baseball squad to a JUCO World Series appearance. That wasn't all that Tim Chambers accomplished at College of Southern Nevada. Chambers not only coached Bryce Harper, who became the first Las Vegas resident to be drafted number one in the Major League Baseball Draft, but six other CSN Coyotes were also drafted by Major League Baseball teams.

UNLV looks to capitalize on Chambers recruiting ability.
Chambers recruiting skills are top shelf and he has made himself a name by recruiting some of Nevada's best players to a junior college with little national exposure. That is little national exposure until this season. When College of Southern Nevada showed up at any of their road games, the crowds were always large as everyone wanted a glimpse of the future Major League phenom, Bryce Harper. The JUCO World Series games with College of Southern Nevada saw attendance soar to above 14,000.

UNLV 's Hustlin Rebels were always a presence in years past but since UNLV didn't pony up and pay coach Jim Schlossnagel, the baseball program has fallen on hard times. Schlossnagel was a great coach before he arrived on UNLV's campus, with excellent recruiting ability and phenomenal in game strategic management. Schlossnagel is now the coach of another top 25 program in college baseball that he built up, the TCU Horned Frogs.

Chambers will not be measured against the recent UNLV baseball coach Buddy Gouldsmith.
The expectations will be high as Chambers begins assembling his UNLV recruiting class for next season. Chambers could raid his recruits planned for College of Southern Nevada but he doesn't seem to be that kind of coach. It will be interesting if he gives into temptation. One draw back Chambers will face is the new standards he will have to adjust to at UNLV when it comes to academics.

Chambers is loyal if nothing else. He started the College of Southern Nevada baseball program in 1999 and was the schools only baseball coach. The school knew that the only job he would ever accept would be the UNLV job. With UNLV struggling, they may have already known that Chambers was not long for their school.

Athletic Director Jim Livengood contacted by 100 coaches seeking job & only interviewed Chambers.
Jim Livengood has made a point of hiring winners in his two most recent hires as the new UNLV Athletic Director. First he hired Coach Bobby Hauck as the new UNLV Football coach. Hauck made yearly appearances in the Division I FCS Football playoffs and made the championship game three times with a record of 80-17.

Livengood introduced Chambers at his press conference saying, "He brings nothing but class and excellence to this university and our program," Livengood said.

Chambers plans to focus on local Las Vegas prospects.
Chambers said at his press conference, that although UNLV only had eight local Las Vegas prospects on this years Hustlin Rebels, he will focus on local Las Vegas prospects. Chambers had 16 local Las Vegas players on his College of Southern Nevada Coyotes and plans to mold the UNLV baseball squad in the same image.

Chambers has many in roads to local Las Vegas high school talent. He began his high school coaching career when he went to coach the Bishop Gorman Gaels, a Catholic High School in Las Vegas with a nationally recognized football and basketball program. The baseball program on the other hand had never been to the playoffs in 35 years.

It didn't take Chambers long from the time he arrived at Bishop Gorman in 1991, to get the baseball program on the winning track. Chambers coached the Bishop Gorman baseball team to six Sunset Division titles before he left to coach the College of Southern Nevada in 1999.

One thing is sure with the Tim Chambers hire by UNLV. Chambers knows how to win and how to build baseball teams from the ground up. With Chambers knowledge of the Las Vegas high school scene he will have the ability to build a program at UNLV. A UNLV baseball program that could make it back to the College World Series within a few years and bring UNLV back to the national spotlight in baseball.

sources:
www.lasvegassun.com
New Coach Tim Chambers Optimistic he can Turn UNLV Baseball into Winner.