Tarkanian Could Be Reassigned : Basketball: Even if the coach wins his case in court, UNLV might give him another job.

Nevada Las Vegas basketball Coach Jerry Tarkanian could be reassigned to another position within the university if he is able to keep his job through legal action.

According to terms of his contract, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, Tarkanian can be reassigned within the university at the discretion of UNLV President Robert Maxson.

Tarkanian announced Sunday that he will withdraw the resignation he submitted last June. The resignation is effective after the season.

Tarkanian’s lawyers delivered a letter to Maxson on Tuesday declaring the resignation agreement between the coach and school null and void.

According to Maxson, the resignation agreement--reached shortly after the publication of photographs showing former UNLV players socializing with convicted sports fixer Richard Perry--is legally binding and not subject to further discussion.

Attorneys for Tarkanian say they will take the matter to court if the coach is not allowed to retain his job.

UNLV, ineligible for postseason competition this year because of NCAA sanctions, concludes its season Tuesday against Utah State.

Maxson has declined to speculate on how the university would react should Tarkanian take legal steps that would allow him to remain as coach.

It appears, however, that UNLV is prepared to reassign Tarkanian, who also holds a position as senior assistant athletic director/community relations.

Asked about Tarkanian’s chances of remaining Rebel coach after the Utah State game, UNLV legal counsel Brad Booke said: “In light of the terms of his contract, zero.”

According to Booke, Tarkanian’s last contract, signed in July of 1990, comes into play if the resignation agreement is voided.

“If you assume that the resignation (agreement) is null and void, as (Tarkanian’s lawyers) claim, then you return the parties to the position they were in before the resignation occurred,” he said. “In that case, (Tarkanian’s) contract is the operative document between the parties, and the right of reassignment by the administration is absolute.”

One of Tarkanian’s attorneys, Chuck Thompson of Las Vegas, said the coach was prepared to challenge any attempt by UNLV to invoke the reassignment clause, but declined to elaborate on the matter.

“I’m not worried about that,” Thompson said. “If (UNLV administrators) want to take the position that they have the right to reassign Jerry, that’s something they can do. If that’s what they want to try to do, we’ll react to it. As far as we’re concerned, Jerry is still the coach, and we’ll react to anything they try to do.”

Tarkanian’s contract contains a clause that states: “(The) administration retains the right to reassign personnel to such other titles, positions and duties within the employing institution for which such personnel, in the judgment of the administration, are qualified.”

The clause is standard in contracts for UNLV administrators, including Tarkanian, Booke said.

“So if, on March 4, Bob Maxson wants to assign Jerry to be the assistant athletic director in charge of community relations (on a full-time basis), he can do that under the terms of Jerry’s contract without any regard whatsoever to the whole resignation/rescission of resignation question,” Booke said.

“That is something that is as true for Jerry as it is for every other administrator at the university.”

Times staff writer Elliott Almond contributed to this story.