UNLV announces firing of Sanchez after going 19-40

Former NMSU receiver has been Rebels’ boss for five years

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — UNLV coach Tony Sanchez has been fired after five seasons in charge.

The school announced Monday that it is parting ways with Sanchez after this season, which wraps up with UNLV facing Nevada for the Fremont Cannon on Saturday. UNLV said it will immediately begin searching for a new coach.

Sanchez, who played wide receiver at New Mexico State from 1994-95, made the leap to the college ranks when he was hired by UNLV in December 2014 after six years as the coach at Las Vegas prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School. Sanchez is 19-40 at UNLV, including 3-8 this season, and 12-27 in the Mountain West.

He has two years left on a contract that pays him a base salary of $300,000 per year.

“I’m grateful for my time here and proud of the strides we made as a football program, on and off the field,” Sanchez said. “I’m proud of our student-athletes and our staff and how we have positioned the program for future success. I look forward to finishing the season strong with these young men.”

UNLV credited Sanchez for his fundraising efforts that helped in the construction of the $34 million Fertitta Football Complex, which opened on campus this fall.

“We appreciate everything that Tony has done for our university and football program,” athletic director Desiree ReedFrancois said in a statement.

UNLV is set to begin playing its games in the domed stadium being built to house the NFL’s Raiders, starting next season. The new stadium and football facility could make the UNLV job more attractive than it has ever been. UNLV has participated in only four bowl games in its history.

GEORGIA: Jake Fromm is in a slump. The throws that were so accurate through most of his Georgia career are suddenly missing the mark.

Overthrown. Underthrown. Wide left and wide right.

The junior quarterback needs to snap out of it if the No. 4 Bulldogs are going to make another run at the College Football Playoff.

“We’ve got to do a better job helping him out,” coach Kirby Smart said Monday, “and he’s got to do a better job hitting the ones when they’re open.”

If there’s one thing Georgia has been able to count on the last three seasons, it’s their rock-solid quarterback.

Fromm got a shot in his first college game when Jacob Eason was injured, made his first start the next week in a memorable victory at Notre Dame, and has gone on to post a 33-6 record as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 signal-caller, including a trip to the national championship game as a freshman.

Over his first 37 college games, Fromm failed to complete half his throws just three times. Two of those performances came in blowout losses to Auburn in 2017 and LSU last season.

Now, he’s gone three straight games below 50%, though the Bulldogs managed to win them all.

Still, it’s been rather jarring for a Georgia team that is 10-1 heading into the regular-season finale against woeful Georgia Tech (3-8) but has struggled to its niche offensively.

“You can tell it bothers him a little bit here and there,” tight end Charlie Woerner said. “We’re all competitive athletes. We want to do the best that we can.”

BULLOUGH DIES: Henry Bullough, a former NFL coach and a guard on Michigan State’s national title team in 1952, has died. He was 85.

His death was announced Monday by the school. Son Chuck Bullough is an assistant coach for the Spartans.

Henry Bullough also played on the Michigan State team that won the Big Ten championship the year after it captured the national title.

“Michigan State has lost a great Spartan and the game of football has lost a coaching legend,” coach Mark Dantonio said.

Bullough was an NFL head coach for parts of three seasons with a 4-18 record and helped bring in the 3-4 defense while he was New England’s defensive coordinator in 1974. He led the Patriots briefly in the 1978 season and Buffalo for 21 games during the 1985 and 1986 seasons.

AWARDS: Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young are finalists for two major college football trophies to be presented at ESPN’s awards show next month.

Finalists for the nine major awards to be handed out Dec. 12 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta were announced Monday.

Burrow, Young and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts are the finalists for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s top player. Burrow is also up for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, along with Hurts and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.

Young and Brown are finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player. Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons is the other Bednarik finalist.

Brown also is a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the best interior lineman.