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twitterUNLV FOOTBALL:
Postseason with Mike: Sanford, Rebels head into offseason with hope, questions
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 | 2:09 a.m.
UNLV head coach Mike Sanford cheers his team after it scored during the first quarter of the game against TCU on Nov. 1, 2008.
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This season
- 2008 season stats
- Week 1: Utah State, W 27-17
- Week 2: Utah, L 42-21
- Week 3: ASU, W 23-20 OT
- Week 4: ISU, W 34-31 OT
- Week 5: UNR, L 49-27
- Week 6: CSU, L 41-28
- Week 7: Bye
- Week 8: Air Force, L 29-28
- Week 9: BYU, L 42-35
- Week 10: TCU, L 44-14
- Week 11: New Mexico, W 27-20
- Week 12: Wyoming, W 22-14
- Week 13: SDSU, L 42-21
Editor’s Note: During the 2008 season, the Sun brought you Mondays with Mike each week. Now, with the season in the books, Ryan Greene sits down with Sanford one more time to talk about the season that was, plus the season that will be in 2009. Check back on Monday for the Sun’s final 2008 season report card and 2009 in-depth outlook.
UNLV football coach Mike Sanford sat back in his desk chair, hands behind his head, and tried to place some sort of a grade on an A-B-C scale on what his football program accomplished in the 2008 season.
It took a while to pinpoint it. Even then, it was tough to do.
"Somewhere between a 'C' and a 'B,’ " he said. "And I think that's for our team, for me and our coaching staff."
It's easy to wonder how Sanford may have graded the program had the Rebels defeated San Diego State in the season finale, a victory which would have more than likely earned UNLV an at-large bowl berth.
Instead, the Rebels were left with a head-scratcher after a 42-21 loss to the Aztecs two weekends ago in Qualcomm Stadium.
"I think, to me, that loss is something that was like getting kicked in the stomach — for us as coaches and also our players," Sanford said. "That's a big motivating thing for me, and it's a big motivating thing for our players coming back. We met the Monday after we got back, and I talked about that.
“That feeling you've got in your gut, remember what that feels like and let that be a motivating factor for you to not let that happen again next year."
Since the defeat, Sanford went to the Bay Area to spend the holiday weekend with his family. Recharged, he then hit the recruiting trail.
Though Sanford and his staff can't pitch a bowl game when meeting with prospects over the next couple of months, they're trying to polish up what they've got as best as possible.
Compared to previous seasons — as in the last four, when UNLV went 2-10 each fall — it’s not that bad.
"We had to sell that we were an improved team, but it hadn't shown up yet on the field in the past," he said. "We have tangible proof that we're a program that's on its way up."
Being on the way up isn't so bad in most cases, but it's widely perceived that Sanford and his staff will be under some pressure next season to produce.
To produce means going to a bowl game.
"I feel a sense of urgency," Sanford said. "I think pressure is part of this profession. Up until now, I've been on one-year contracts my whole life, other than the three years with the (San Diego) Chargers. I think pressure's part of coaching."
Sanford and athletic director Mike Hamrick met Monday afternoon and held the first of what will be a few meetings this week to discuss the future of the football program.
It's unknown whether an extension on Sanford's contract — which expires at the end of the 2009 season — will come at the end of what Hamrick said Monday will be a weeklong process.
With that still hanging in the air, the recruiting season is in full bloom. As it stands, UNLV is about halfway home on its available scholarships in terms of verbal commitments.
It added two more just before Thanksgiving with Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta High running back Bradley Randle and Plano (Texas) West High center Andrew Mack.
The focus of the '09 recruiting class has been speed, specifically in the defensive backfield. The Rebels ranked near the middle of the pack in the FBS ranks in pass defense this season — 66th out of 119 teams.
So far, they have verbal commitments from junior college cornerbacks Warren Ziegler and Mike Grant, plus a pledge from Bishop Gorman safety Charles Childers.
"Speed, defensive secondary and depth, overall," Sanford said of the key focuses.
One area where depth is far from a concern is at what many would agree is football's most important position — quarterback.
Omar Clayton cemented himself as one of the Mountain West's more efficient passers this season. Before suffering a torn MCL in a Nov. 1 loss to TCU, Clayton had thrown for 1,894 yards, 18 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
In his place for the final three-and-a-half games, redshirt freshman Mike Clausen didn't commit a turnover until the fourth quarter of the SDSU game, throwing for 767 yards and five touchdowns.
"Omar's our starting quarterback," Sanford said. "I think Mike is an excellent player, and we want Mike to compete to get better. I think right now we have arguably the best one-two (combo) in the league, as far as starter and backup. And experience-wise, too."
Sanford wouldn't say just how Clausen would be used on a regular basis. For example, though he started in just three games in 2008, he made relief appearances in six others.
Don't be surprised by a curveball.
"There's a good chance that, just because Mike played so well and did so well, there's gonna be some stuff where we play two quarterbacks at once, too," he said. "That would be a way that we could get him in the game."
But going into 2009 with a twist like that would only feel normal on the heels of a season as strange as 2008.
A 3-1 start, a rough patch in the middle, which at times seemed endless, a glimmer of hope down the stretch, then a thud at the end.
Now the question remains: What do those experiences mean for 2009?
"No. 1, I think our five wins, none of those were easy," Sanford said. "We found a way to win all five of those games, if I remember right, in the fourth quarter. The difference between those five wins and the three close losses were making plays in the fourth quarter.
“To me, we used those close losses in that five-game stretch, in our New Mexico and Wyoming preparation, and those turned into positives, based on the things we learned from those games in the middle."
Discussion: 9 comments so far…
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Mike Sanford is 0-16 on the road vs. MWC opponents! Mike Sanford has never won a MWC road game and never will.
All five of the schools UNLV beat in 2008 have losing records.
The combined records of the five schools UNLV beat in 2008 are 18-41.
Three of those five schools fired their coach after losing to UNLV.
Mike Sanford is a miserable 5-27 (.156) vs. MWC opponents. Wow that is bad!
Now for the good news: Mike Sanford is no longer the worst coach (percentage wise) in the history of UNLV Football. One could still argue that he is the dumbest coach in the history of college football but he has officially passed Jeff Horton (percentage wise) and Sanford only needs to go 3-9 next year (2009) to secure himself his place in Rebel history as the the 2nd worst coach we have ever had (percentage wise). Congrats on this great accomplishment!
Bill Ireland: 26-23 (.530)
Ron Meyer: 27-8 (.771)
Tony Knap: 47-20 (.696)
Harvey Hyde: 26-19 (.576)
Wayne Nunnely: 19-25 (.432)
Jime Strong: 17-27 (.386)
Jeff Horton: 13-44 (.228)
John Robinson: 28-42 (.400)
Mike Sanford: 11-36 (.234)
350 days until Sanford is officially fired! The countdown finally begins!
i have no idea about your (sufferin) statistics, but i finally agree with you on something.
good bye coach sanford....
coach, you are a nice guy, a good person, but you are not the right guy for our coach. sorry.
2009 UNLV Football Predictions
Sacramento State - WIN
Oregon State - LOSS
Hawaii - WIN
at UNR - LOSS
Utah - LOSS
BYU - LOSS
SDSU - WIN
Colorado State - LOSS
at Wyoming - LOSS
at New Mexico - LOSS
at Air Force - LOSS
at TCU - LOSS
Looks like 3-9 next year for the Rebels and Sanford will be out the door.
Wow, I don't even think we beat Hawaii. that is optimistic of Sufferin_succotash. You must really like Sanford to think that. I bet deep down Sanford is your favorite coach.
If I were the Hammy, I would offer Sanford a three year extension with 'conditional' buyout and increase in compensation.
So, Sanford gets a 'new' four (4) year deal (08-12), with one (1) year 'guaranteed' (08-09) and three (3) additional years that are 'conditionally' guaranteed (09-12).
That is, if UNLV is bowl eligible next season, and/or wins at least 6-7 games next season, an additional year will become 'guaranteed' on Sanford's contract (leaving Sanford, at the end of 09, with a three year deal, one year guaranteed 09-10, two years NOT guaranteed, meaning UNLV could fire him at the end of 2010 without paying him anything further).
If UNLV wins 8-9 games next year, two years become guaranteed (leaving Sanford at the end of 09 with a three year deal, two years guaranteed, one year not guaranteed).
Finally, if UNLV wins 10 games or more, all three years become automatically guaranteed.
I'd also add a provision allowing him to leave for another school outside the MWC with no buyout to UNLV if he wins less than 6 games, a one year buyout if he wins 6-7 games, 2 year buyout if he wins 8-9 games, and full three year buyout if he wins 10 games or more.
I'd leave his base salary set for next season, and offer modest raises (3-5%) conditional on the number of games he wins next year.
It's not the deal that Bob Stoops will get at the end of the year. But, then again, Sanford is no Bob Stoops. At least not yet. And if he proves to be Bob Stoops next year, both he and UNLV will be rewarded if the contract is structured as above.
Newyorkrebel's contract outline makes perfect sense.
Reality check... It takes six years minimum to rebuild a program as downtrodden as UNLV... Sanford is the guy who can do it. This season (despite the loss to SD) was a turning point.
If you fire Sanford, and some phenom comes in and wins 9 games with Sanford's recruits, he'll be on to the next gig in a skinny little minute. Bank on it.
I've also wondered for a little while about that type of contract. It's a win win situation for the majority of parties involved, except Sanford. I don't think that he'd like or even agree to have such an unstable contract. Although after so much losing, I'd like to see a coach only get rewarded for winning and not for his potential.
Rockne, we can always count on you for insightful info and judgement. I tried all season, in both papers, to express the same setiments as you just displayed, to no avail. All I got was criticism from Sufferin' Succotash and his circus of moronic trolls for being a Sanford and UNLV apologist. As I've said before, finally, someone with a logical brain has arrived that can echo my thoughts without backing down or for fear of verbal reprisal from the impatient and reactionary so called UNLV Football fans.
Kudos to the rest of you also that support what is right for this program, including the Sun.
I have to say that I bought into what Sanford was selling this year and attended all but one home game. It was maddening to me to see the lack of defense and defensive adjustments during games. The offense seemed to be able to adapt the passing game somewhat, but the running game was an absolute JOKE. We have the Tank with a few decent backups and gain less yards against one of the, if not the, worst run defense in the COUNTRY and gain less yards that we did against TCU on the ground. I know we had a ton of O-line injuries this year and injuries overall, but it was still an incredible disappointment. When our defense was beat up, we go to playing an ultra-soft scheme instead of an attacking scheme so two defenders in the secondary can watch mediocre receivers run past them. I could go on and all, but what I would like to see is more improvement and more consistent in game adjustment from the staff.
I love the coverage that the Sun gives to UNLV and the local scene in general. I've been in Las Vegas for over 29 years and it has been a long time coming. Please keep up the good work and keep us updated somewhat in the offseason.
looks like the adbove comment about how manny games unlv will win this year is on par lol