Tim Grgurich, who was hired away from the Seattle SuperSonics to salvage the troubled UNLV basketball program, reportedly is on his way out after coaching only seven games during a turmoil-filled season.
UNLV scheduled a press conference today on Grgurich's future, amid reports that he will step down as the Runnin' Rebel coach without completing his first year.Grgurich, who hasn't coached a game since being hospitalized with symptoms relating to exhaustion Jan. 5, met with UNLV interim president Kenny Guinn on Thursday to discuss his future.
"I'm not as optimistic as I was a couple of days ago," Guinn said after the meeting.
Guinn said he gave Grgurich some more time to think about his decision. Grgurich is in the first year of a three-year contract valued at $300,000 a year.
"We had a very good conversation and we talked about a lot of things, including the athletic department, the NCAA and, most importantly, his health," Guinn said.
Grgurich returned to Las Vegas on Wednesday after spending nearly two weeks under his doctor's care in Santa Barbara. He apparently had suffered a relapse after returning to coaching practices and recruiting in early February.
The 52-year-old Grgurich was unavailable for comment Thursday, but on Wednesday night told the Las Vegas Sun that he was having problems.
"My family's suffering," said Grgurich, who left a job as an assistant with the Sonics to return to UNLV. "I just want to enjoy coaching again."