Grgurich Expected to Quit Today

First-year Nevada Las Vegas basketball Coach Tim Grgurich, who has been hospitalized because of mental exhaustion for much of the season, is expected to resign today after meeting with interim UNLV President Kenny Guinn, sources told The Times and ESPN on Wednesday night.

Grgurich’s decision to leave the beleaguered Rebel program comes one day after the school reportedly received an NCAA letter of inquiry containing alleged violations that could bring the “death penalty.”

The violations--which were reported to have occurred under Grgurich’s predecessor, Rollie Massimino--involve a shopping spree for players funded by agents at an area mall and that an agent paid for a player’s hotel room and legal fees.

UNLV also suspended Kebu Stewart, its leading scorer and rebounder, for the rest of the season after he admitted receiving a free pair of shoes from an agent’s representative. The university declared guard Jermaine Smith ineligible for the same violation, but said it will appeal to the NCAA to immediately make him eligible again.

The Rebels are serving a three-year probation for NCAA violations that took place when Jerry Tarkanian was coach and Grgurich his top assistant. Although he is not the subject of this NCAA inquiry, Grgurich decided to resign because the job of rebuilding UNLV is more formidable than he initially thought, a source said.

UNLV assistant coaches have guided the Rebels to a 9-15 overall record, 5-11 in the Big West Conference.