RG-J reports that sources report Ault's job to be in jeopardy

The Reno Gazette-Journal reported in their paper this morning that "multiple sources" have contacted the paper's offices in the past two weeks with the same general message: the Wolf Pack must compete for a Western Athletic Conference championship and not embarass themselves (and their ancestors, in my opinion) in a bowl game next season, lest Ault cash in his 401(k), buy a 'Bago, and move to Tampa.

Rather than shrug off the comments, Cary Groth and Coach Ault were both quick to go on the defensive, which really serves to re-affirm what we've already said: Ault is on probation.

Between their actions three weeks ago, the sheer number of people within the department willing to divulge such similar stories, and their swift and deliberate reactions this time around I think we can all be pretty certain of that fact.

But before we all get out the celebratory box of Cheese-Its, there are some things to consider.

Among the assertions by donors is that Groth has been trying to "get rid of" Ault since she arrived in 2004 and that Ault offered to step down during their meeting last month.

Groth did re-up Ault's contract, as she was quick to point out, in 2007 after a 6-7 season and Nevada's first shut-out loss since the Carter administration; if she ever had a golden opportunity to uload the guy, that was it.  Therefore, I'm inclined to believe her when she says refutes that above statement.  She is the AD, afterall, and therefore does wield the power to deal with him; either that or she really is shackled to a radiator while the team is shackled to a corpse, but the only way for that to be possible would be if she were answering to the greater wishes of the donors...the same donors who have been flooding Groth with complaints about Ault and reporting the "firestorm up there" to the RG-J.

The potential triggers outlined by the donors -- contend for a WAC title and avoid embarrassment in a bowl game -- are ambiguously defined at best, but they are indicators that the vocal faction of Ault detractors -- a few hundred of whom e-mailed Groth to complain following the bowl loss -- might be having an influence on the potential direction of the program.

They are ambiguous to a point, but the fact that contend for a title and avoid embarrassment in a bowl game is the only demarcation defining the future of Ault's employment indicates to me that the University is taking the 'just don't look like a chode again' approach in order to shelter him from disgrace; it also gives enough room for interpretation to allow them to cast him off next season - it therefore becomes further evidence of Ault's probation.

And I don't think the donors' complaints are having that kind of impact, mainly because they don't have to; 45-10 against SM freakin' U pretty much speaks for itself.

The most important to consider, however:

...Nevada has underperformed in non-conference games since Ault's return -- 12-16 overall, which includes a 5-1 record against UNLV and a 1-4 mark in bowl games.

Remove the record against UNLV, one of the worst FBS programs in the country in the last decade, and Nevada is 7-15 in non-conference games. The Wolf Pack has adopted a more challenging non-conference scheduling philosophy in the last decade or so, and the Pack did not play an FCS opponent in 2009. But its inability to compete with Top-25 caliber teams has alienated some fans. The Pack is 1-11 against Top 25 teams since 2004, including 0-10 in the last four seasons.

 The evidence is mounting...not that we need it anymore.

There's no shame in abdication...