According to press releases issued by the schools, San Jose State and UNLV have joined Memphis and Western Kentucky as Div. 1-A schools in the market for a new head coach.
71-year-old Dick Tomey will announce his retirement from the Spartans at a 4 pm ET press conference this afternoon, while the Rebels announced that Mike Sanford‘s contract “will be terminated Dec. 5, 2009".
A 55-point loss to Nevada on Nov. 5 put the punctuation mark on what is now a 1-8 season for SJSU, and likely sped up the retirement process for the fifth-year head coach. Tomey has been the subject of retirement rumors for well over a year, and would’ve been heading into the final year of his contract had he made it to 2010. The school showed no inclination to give Tomey a contract extension, although the school’s athletic director gave the coach a vote of confidence following the blowout loss to the Wolfpack.
Over in the desert, Sanford’s run of four-plus years as the Rebels head coach has come to an end as well. As his record stands at 15-43, it’s not exactly what you would call a shocking turn of events.
“Interim Athletic Director Jerry Koloskie and I announce the decision regarding Mike Sanford‘s employment regretfully and with the utmost respect for the time and effort he has devoted to the football team,” said UNLV President Neal Smatresk in a statement. “We agree this action is needed at this time.”
“We appreciate the service, commitment and dedication that Mike Sanford and his staff provided to UNLV over the last five years,” Koloskie said in his statement. “Our efforts remain focused on building the Rebels into a winning football program.”
Both men will continue to coach their respective programs through the end of the regular season.