Blue Friday: What does Nevada’s offense coordinator hire really mean for the program?

I was excited as anyone when I found out Nevada hired former Hawaii offensive mastermind Nick Rolovich. His track record speaks for itself with the Warriors. But what does his hire really mean for the program? I think it means more than people are giving it credit for.

Don’t overlook the fact that head coach Chris Ault said Rolovich, not Ault, will be calling the plays. This is big for a couple of reasons. But none bigger than I think this will be Ault’s last season.

Before everyone writes me off, let me explain.

Ault told me in an interview after the 2010 season that he didn’t see himself coaching into his 70s. Ault is turning 66 this November. And, the timing makes sense. There’s no question Ault bleeds Nevada blue. But, after this season seems perfect for him to call it quits.

Consider this: Ault will have guided Nevada through its transition into the Mountain West Conference, whatever that ends up looking like. The quarterback position will likely be solid as Cody Fajardo will have two seasons under his belt for whoever the new head coach is. There will be an offensive coordinator already calling the plays and working with the quarterbacks.

Remember, after the 2010 season, Ault’s contract was only extended through the 2013 season. What else does Ault have to prove? Nothing. He created the offense that numerous programs across the nation are using. He’s built Nevada football to where it is now, from a Division II to Division I-AA to a team that finished No. 11 in the polls at the end of the 2010 season. He’s devoted almost all his career to this university. He’s experienced arguably the best season in program history and perhaps its biggest victory as well.

Now, it seems to me passing the play calling duties to the offensive coordinator is, unfortunately the beginning of the end in his illustrious, long career at Nevada. Maybe he does coach until his contract expires in 2013. But, Fajardo will have two years left with the Pack. All the new recruits of the past few years will have experience. It seems like the perfect way to transition the program to a new coach. Don’t underestimate how much Ault loves the University of Nevada. It takes a strong amount of loyalty and dedication for him to stay with the Wolf Pack when he could have left multiple times. Leaving after this season means he’s passing what will likely be a batch of players on the rise. In other words, he’s leaving the program in a strong position.

For this season, Rolovich’s potential effects on the offense are exciting. For the future, I’d say we’re coming close to the end of an era. Enjoy while you can fans. It’s not every day you get to see a hall of fame coach in action and I don’t think he’s going to be around too much longer.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.