After two seasons, an overall record of 9-16, and a 2018 record of 3-9, Mike Sanford Jr. - along with his father and brother-in-law - have been fired.
His dismissal comes one day after the Hilltoppers upset Louisiana Tech 30-15.
Sanford becomes WKU’s second fired football coach in the program’s FBS history. David Elson was fired after going 0-12 in 2009 (WKU’s first fully eligible season for FBS play).
Athletic Director Todd Stewart will hold a press conference Sunday afternoon.
The search for a new head coach has begun.
Sanford was in his second year of a four-year deal with WKU. The contract included a base salary of $800,000, plus incentives, and a buyout clause starting at $1.5 million in 2017 and decreasing by $300,000 each year.
In 2017, WKU went 6-7 with losses to Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt, Marshall, Florida Int., and Georgia State (Cure Bowl). The loss to Georgia State was WKU’s first bowl loss since 2012. Throughout the season, WKU had the worst ground attack in the nation.
The 2018 season started with non-conference losses to Wisconsin (#4 at the time), Maine (FCS), and Louisville. Other than the loss to Maine, WKU seemed to be statistically improved from 2017. However, WKU would go on to win three games: Ball State, UTEP, and Louisiana Tech. Continuity at quarterback, quarterback protection, play calling, red zone scoring, a tiring defense, and shoddy special teams headlined the season-long woes.
Sanford has been under increasing pressure from fans since his first few games of the 2017 season. The pressure became unequivocally more so in 2018 as the losses stacked up and the program was not bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
After Jeff Brohm left WKU for Purdue, WKU hired the young Sanford on December 14, 2016. During his first press conference, Sanford and Stewart spoke of “keeping the train rolling.” The Hilltopper offense became an offensive juggernaut under Brohm: ranking, nationally, in the top five from 2014-16. Under Sanford’s helm, the total offense fell from #60 (2017) to #99 (2018) in the nation. The team's offensive efficiency went from #110 (2017) to #118 (2018) in the nation.
Despite the program's record, in 2018 Sanford was able to put together WKU's highest ranked signing class in program history. The 2018 class included 17 three-star players and the program's first-ever four-star prospect (Kevaris Thomas, QB).
Sanford's staff included the likes of his father, Mike Sanford Sr., and brother-in-law Matthew Mitchell. Sanford Sr. served as the special teams coordinator and running backs' coach in 2017, then just running backs in 2018. In 2017, Mitchell was an offensive graduate assistant. After Steve Spurrier Jr. departed WKU for Washington State, Mitchell was appointed quarterback coach.
Prior to WKU, Sanford served as Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach from 2015-2016.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
