In spite of a horrific record, he got a contract extension just a year ago. From AP-
UNLV has fired football coach Mike Sanford after five losing seasons, a 15-43 record and no bowl appearances.
Sanford’s firing comes after a 45-17 loss to Air Force on Saturday made the Rebels ineligible for a bowl game.
In a joint statement, university president Neal Smatresk and interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie said Sanford will coach the final game of the season at home against San Diego State on the Nov. 28.
“We agree this action is needed at this time,” Smatresk said.
Sanford, 54, will be paid a $225,000 buyout, under terms of a three-year contract extension the coach signed last year.
The Spartans haven’t been particularly successful since he took over in 2005, but Tomey leaves the school as its winningest coach in 20 years. From AP-
Dick Tomey created countless long-term relationships during his 29 years as a head football coach.
The Gold Room in the Simpkins Center was overflowing Monday with his latest friends, colleagues and players when Tomey announced he was retiring from coaching, effective following San Jose State’s game against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 5.
The 71-year-old coach said this was an opportunity for he and his wife, Nanci Kincaid, to “open a new chapter.”
“We have a lot of responsibilities left on the mainland, including six grandchildren to visit, but effectively we will be going back to the place we love the most and that’s Hawaii,” said Tomey, who has 182 wins during stints at Hawaii, Arizona and San Jose State.
Tomey’s first college head coaching job was at Hawaii, which he built into a powerhouse when he took over in 1977. He left for Arizona in 1987 and built the Wildcats into a top 10 power before leaving after the 2000 season.
He took over at San Jose State in 2005 and found a program in turmoil. Academic penalties cost the Spartans 57 scholarships and limited spring practices during his tenure at the school.
Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, who was suspended for the season after punching a Boise State player in the wake of the season opener, has been allowed to rejoin the Ducks.
The university requested Blount’s reinstatement, which was approved by Pacific-10 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott on Monday.
Blount will be able to play for the Ducks (No. 13 BCS, No. 14 AP) on Saturday night when they host Arizona State. He missed eight games.
Blount issued a statement saying he was grateful to Oregon coach Chip Kelly for giving him a second chance.
“Now it is up to me to prove to people that their lasting impressions of me are not what they saw in Boise,” he said.
Blount punched Byron Hout following the nationally televised opener, bringing the Broncos’ defensive end to his knees. The next day he was suspended for the season by Kelly, but he was allowed to keep his scholarship and practice with the team.
Oregon made the right decision. Give Blount another chance for he did apologize, but warn him that any similar incidents will lead to his being kicked off the football squad.
The last time the Midshipmen won back to back games in South Bend was when I was two years old. From AP-
Navy did it to Notre Dame again — and this loss to the Midshipmen is even more costly.
Craig Schaefer sacked Jimmy Clausen in the end zone with 60 seconds left Saturday and Navy held on for a 23-21 victory, its second straight at Notre Dame Stadium.
No. 19 Notre Dame (6-3) scored with 24 seconds left on a 31-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen to Golden Tate to cut the lead to two, but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds.
The win sends Navy into the Texas Bowl and effectively ends any hope Notre Dame (6-3) had for a Bowl Championship Series berth.
Notre Dame last went to a BCS Bowl game in 2006 and this year’s team I didn’t think was worthy of that high a game before today’s loss. Losing to Navy is nothing to be ashamed of, but a top college football team shouldn’t be defeated by a service academy.
The last time the Boilermakers won in Ann Arbor, I was just five years old. From AP-
Joey Elliott threw for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a score and Purdue held on for a 38-36 victory against Michigan.
The Boilermakers (4-6, 3-3 Big Ten) trailed by two TDs at halftime and rallied to end their 11-game road losing streak by winning at Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1966.
Michigan melted down in the third quarter again, allowing Purdue to score three touchdowns, including one after an onside kick caught the Wolverines by surprise.
In danger of missing a bowl after a 4-0 start, Michigan had a chance to tie after Brandon Minor’s third TD with 2:10 left, but Tate Forcier was sacked on a 2-point conversion that Michigan was forced to attempt because of a missed extra point.
If not for contract considerations, I could see Rodriquez’s tenure at Michigan being over at the end of this season. 3-9 and .500 football isn’t what the University of Michigan is paying for.
Hawkeye starting Quarterback left the game with an injury also. From AP-
Dan Persa threw a touchdown pass and Marshall Thomas recovered a fumble for another touchdown, and Northwestern snapped Iowa’s 13-game winning streak with a 17-10 victory on Saturday.
Iowa had been the masters of the fourth-quarter comeback until Saturday’s loss, rallying to win their previous four contests when trailing to start the final period.
It was the first win over a top-10 opponent for the Wildcats (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) since knocking off then-No. 6 Ohio State 33-27 in overtime in 2004.
Iowa (No. 4 BCS, No. 8 AP) lost quarterback Ricky Stanzi to an apparent ankle injury early in the second quarter. Freshman James Vandenberg was just 9 of 27 for 82 yards filling, and couldn’t lead the Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) to any points after Stanzi left the game.
Call me a prophet if you want, but I had a feeling after their close call against Indiana that Iowa would lose a game prior to bowl season.
This for her actions in a recent Mountain West Conference semifinals versus BYU. From AP-
New Mexico women’s soccer defender Elizabeth Lambert has been suspended indefinitely after engaging in rough play — including hauling an opposing player to the ground by her pony tail — in the Lobos’ 1-0 loss to BYU in the Mountain West Conference semifinals.
Lambert is prohibited from taking part in practices, games and conditioning, coach Kit Vela announced Friday.
“Liz is a quality student-athlete, but in this instance her actions clearly crossed the line of fair play and good sportsmanship,” Vela said.
Video footage of the game shows Lambert, a junior, committing a series of excessively rough plays, including kicking, tackles, a forearm shiver to the back — in response to an elbow to the ribs — and yanking BYU forward Kassidy Shumway to the ground by her hair.
Lambert was assessed a yellow card during the 76th minute, apparently for tripping.
Lambert apologized for her actions.
Here’s a video of what happened. Warning the audio isn’t too good.
Her actions may have been provoked but are still uncalled for. I do think Lambert could have a future in another sport. How good is she at ice skating? Watch out Mountain West women’s hockey players.
It was the college coaching debut for FIU’s Isiah Thomas. From AP-
Isiah Thomas lost his coaching debut at Florida International on Wednesday night when Northwood, an NAIA school coached by Rollie Massimino, beat the Panthers 71-61 in an exhibition game.
Thomas, the Basketball Hall of Famer and most recently coach of the New York Knicks, faced Massimino, who coached Villanova to the 1985 NCAA title and is entering his fourth season at the West Palm Beach, Fla., school.
Lester Hunte scored 18 points for Northwood, while Patrick Horstmann had 13. Jay Duncan scored seven of his 10 points in the final minutes as Northwood pulled away.
Losing to a little known(I didn’t even know Northwood fielded a basketball team and the school is less than 15 minutes from my home) technical is not an auspicious start for FIU. The real season begins for the Panthers with a game against North Carolina on November 9th. Thomas will be lucky to lead FIU to 10 wins this year.
Very sad and slightly reminiscent of Maggie Dixon who coached Army and died at the same age. RIP.
Jackie Moore, a 28-year-old assistant women’s basketball coach at Eastern Illinois, has died.
The university says Moore died Wednesday night at a hospital after collapsing as she started a workout.
School spokesman Rich Moser says doctors said Moore’s heart “just stopped.” Moser says an autopsy is planned.
Moore was in her third season at the school. She graduated from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., in 2005 and was from Windsor, Ontario.
Some mediocre college football teams want Santa Claus to come early this year. From AP-
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe wants the NCAA to treat teams with 6-6 records the same as teams with winning records when it comes to bowl games.
Under current rules, teams with .500 records can receive a bowl bid only if the school’s conference already has a deal with a bowl and all other teams with winning records have been invited to postseason games.
A winning Division I team should receive a bowl bid before any 6-6 teams. I’ve lived long enough to remember Florida State(8-3 in 1978) and the University of Miami(7-4 in 1982) being locked out of the post season in spite of their having better records than teams that did get bids. The Independence Bowl passed on the Hurricanes to invite schools, Kansas State(6-4-1) and Wisconsin(6-5). Who then played a real snoozer of a 14-3 game.
That said, I strongly believe there are too many bowl games played these days. Nothing would be lost if about six of them went away IMHO.
