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WSU coach to leave for UNLV

Timm Rosenbach, who Jody Sears hired in November as Weber State University’s offensive coordinator, has left the school and will take the same job at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Rosenbach, a friend of head coach Jody Sears, was brought to WSU from a rival Big Sky Conference school, the University of Montana, in November.

WSU Athletic Directer Jerry Bovee said the athletic department was aware that Rosebach may leave for UNLV a few weeks ago.

“Its always a setback when you find out,” Bovee said. “But in our world it didn’t just matriculate yesterday.”

Rosenbach, a former NFL quarterback, will leave the Wildcats without ever calling a play. He was brought onto WSU’s staff shortly after Sears was confirmed as head coach. Rosenbach and Sears played football together at Washington State University.

It was announced on Wednesday in a press release on UNLV’s website that Rosenbach would be joining the Rebels’ coaching staff. In the press release, UNLV head coach Bobby Hauck said Rosenbach is a good coach and will help the Rebels’ offensive unit.

“I’ve known him for many years and coached against him on numerous occasions,” Hauck said. “Having tried to stop his offense as a defensive coach, I know he has good instincts and a really good feel on game day.”

While at Washington State, Rosenbach was an All-American quarterback and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988. He set Washington State single-season records that year for total offense, passing yards and touchdowns, and had the highest quarterback rating in the nation.

He was a first-round pick in the 1989 supplemental NFL draft, taken by the then-Phoenix Cardinals, playing three seasons with them. In his second season with the Cardinals, he started all 16 games and threw for more than 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. His professional career was cut short by his injuries. He played three seasons, including a season with Hamilton in the Canadian Football League.

Last season, Rosenbach was the offensive coordinator at UM. Prior to that, he spent one season as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico State University and five seasons as quarterback coach at his alma mater, Washington State. He started his coaching career at Eastern Washington University, where he was offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. In 2001, his first season as offensive coordinator, the Eagles led the nation in total offense.

Rosenbach’s departure leaves WSU without an offensive or defensive coordinator. Sears, who was out recruiting on Wednesday when the Rosenbach announcement was made, has already begun the search for a replacement.

Bovee said the process of finding a new offensive coordinator has all ready started and explained that the replacement must fulfill the needs of the coaching staff and also meet the hiring requirements of the university.

“The head coach goes out and puts together a list of people he or she is interested in,” Bovee said, “then we discuss that process. The University does have a hiring process that we follow, so we have to fit what the head coach is trying to achieve in building a staff within those guidelines.”

In a prepared statement, Rosenbach told UNLV’s website that he is excited to be at the school.

“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to not only work for Coach Hauck, but also to be part of a program at UNLV that I believe is headed in the right direction,” he said

Bovee said Sears is all ready compiling a list of possible candidates to fill the position but right now the main focus is on recruiting.

“The process is going on now,” Bovee said, “it’s just not the primary focus because recruiting has to be . . . Once the right person emerges I think it (a hiring) will be fairly soon. Obviously within the next three to four weeks I hope we get this resolved.

The day Rosenbach announced he would leave WSU, another short-term WSU coach also got a new job. John L. Smith accepted the head coaching position at a Division II school, Fort Lewis College in Durang, Colo.

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