LAS VEGAS -- Karen Dennis, who headed the women's U.S. Olympic track and field team that won seven medals in 2000 at Sydney, has been fired by UNLV.

Athletic director John Robinson said in a statement that Dennis' contract won't be renewed after June 30.

Dennis, who coached 16 All-Americans in 27 events during her 10 years at UNLV, said she was not given any reason for her dismissal or those of assistant coaches Don Giardina and Qingyi Zheng.

"I'm baffled as to why I wasn't renewed,'' Dennis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I thought we had a very good season.

"I did not break any rules. To the best of my knowledge, we had no academic issues. So I don't know why.''

The Las Vegas Sun quoted unidentified UNLV athletic department sources as saying there had been friction between Dennis and her coaching staff in recent years, and that some of her athletes felt she directed most of her coaching attention to a select few performers.

"I don't want to comment on any of that,'' Robinson said told the newspaper. "We just decided to go another direction.''

The Associated Press was unable to reach either Dennis or UNLV officials for comment.

But Jerry Koloskie, UNLV's senior associate athletic director, called the dismissal a "contractural issue.''

"The decision was made because no cause is needed to not renew her,'' he told the Review-Journal.

Davis said she was mystified by the decision.

"I've been trying to find out, but nobody has said anything,'' she told the newspaper. "Obviously, I'm very disappointed with the decision made by the athletic department. Coach Dennis deserves quite a bit of credit for my success as a runner. ... I'll always be grateful to her.''

Dennis, who had coached at Michigan State before her arrival at UNLV in 1992, won one indoor Mountain West Conference championship, finished second twice in outdoor conference championships.

Upon her return from Sydney, Dennis was given a day in her honor by the city of Las Vegas.

Marion Jones won three gold medals and five overall in the games.