Sacked: UNLV terminates head football coach’s contract

November 16, 2009 by Sean Jaramillo 

Decision comes on heels of pre-bowl elimination

The highly-criticized 2009 football season will be head football coach Mike Sanford’s last with the Rebels.

Sanford’s contract will be terminated on Dec. 5, according to university president Neal Smatresk and interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie.

The move comes following the Rebels loss to Air Force 45-17, which eliminated UNLV from postseason consideration for the ninth straight season.

“Koloskie and I announce the decision regarding… Sanford’s employment regretfully and with the utmost respect,” Smatresk said, “for the time and effort he has devoted to the football team. We agree this action is needed at this time.”

Sanford will coach the final game of the season against San Diego State on Nov. 28.

In Sanford’s tenure at UNLV, he has managed a 15-43 record overall and a 7-32 record in the Mountain West Conference. The team’s record factored in the decision.

“We appreciate the service, commitment and dedication that Sanford and his staff provided to UNLV over the last five years,” Koloskie said. “Our efforts remain focused on building the Rebels into a winning program.”

This season, UNLV is 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the MWC.

UNLV will search for a permanent athletic director in the near future and Smatresk feels that the search for a replacement coach will be one of the newly selected director’s first major decisions.