Brad Rothermel

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Jim Strong has been named the football coach at Nevada-Las Vegas, a source reported today. A source who asked not to be identified confirmed that Strong had been given the job. He is expected to receive a five-year contract at a reported $95,000 annually. Strong is scheduled to be introduced at a news conference Saturday. Strong and Cal State-Fullerton coach Gene Murphy were reported to be the two finalists for the post.

University of Nevada Las Vegas Athletic Director Brad Rothermel said he has been informed by NCAA officials that Las Vegas' appeal of a ruling that four Rebel football players were ineligible last season has been turned down. The NCAA Council, meeting at the national convention in Nashville, has taken no formal action but a written decision is expected in the next few weeks.

Nevada Las Vegas, which hopes to name its new football coach by the end of the week, had its field of candidates drop from seven to six Monday. Artie Gigantino, special teams coach for the Rams, was interviewed Monday by the 17-member committee. Jim Strong, offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, is scheduled to be interviewed today with Cal State Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy set for Wednesday.

Trena Hull of Nevada Las Vegas was reprimanded by the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. Wednesday for her actions in an incident with UC Irvine runner Jennifer Abraham April 18 at San Diego State. A letter from PCAA Commissioner Lewis A. Cryer warned Hull that similar actions could warrant her disqualification from PCAA track and field competition. Abraham accused Hull of attacking her during the 3,000-meter race after Abraham had elbowed Hull.

Dan Guerrero, who has been the athletic director at Cal State Dominguez Hills for five years, was hired as athletic director at UC Irvine on Monday. Guerrero, the runner-up for the Irvine job when Tom Ford was hired in 1990, was chosen over Lee McElroy, who is the athletic director at Cal State Sacramento. Despite being a finalist the last time the job was open, Guerrero was not among an original group of three finalists chosen by Irvine.

The NCAA has begun its investigation into the University of Nevada-Las Vegas' recruitment of former prep star Lloyd Daniels, university officials confirmed. Two NCAA officials spent this week in Las Vegas for a series of face-to-face interviews with members of the UNLV athletic department, said Athletic Director Brad Rothermel.

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn. infractions committee will not consider any response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision involving Nevada Las Vegas basketball Coach Jerry Tarkanian until at least April, an NCAA spokesman said. Members of the committee will be briefed on the decision at the NCAA convention at San Francisco next week. But the committee will not be prepared to take any action when it holds its next formal meeting at San Diego Feb. 3-5, NCAA spokesman David Berst said.