Nevada athletic director Chris Ault says he spurned overtures to take over UNLV's struggling football program because of his family and roots.
Ault, 47, ended months of speculation about his future with a surprise announcement Friday that he intends to remain as the University of Nevada, Reno's athletic director."I've become a victim of my own circumstances," said Ault, who has been associated with UNR as a player, coach or administrator for 22 years. "When you stay in a place as long as I have, it's very difficult to cut loose."
He said a recent talk with his family about the move played a major role in the decision. He noted two of his children have graduated from UNR and another plans to enroll in the fall. He and his wife, Kathy, met while they were students there.
"I would say, yeah, in my life, in my 27 years of marriage, this is the first time that the family and the value of what stability and longevity are really all about hit me square in the face," he said.
Ault, who met with UNLV athletic director Jim Weaver in Las Vegas on Nov. 10 to discuss the coaching position, said he did not reach his decision until Friday afternoon. He acknowledged the job intrigued him.