Mike Sanford
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Title |
Special teams coordinator Running backs coach |
| Team | Western Kentucky |
| Conference | C-USA |
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
April 20, 1955 Los Altos, California |
| Alma mater | USC |
| Playing career | |
| 1973–1976 | USC |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1977 | USC (GA) |
| 1978 | San Diego City CC (DC) |
| 1979–1980 | Army (WR/TE) |
| 1981–1982 | VMI (QB/WR/TE) |
| 1983–1984 | Long Beach State (QB/WR) |
| 1985–1986 | Long Beach State (OC) |
| 1987–1988 | Purdue (QB) |
| 1989–1996 | USC (WR) |
| 1997–1998 | Notre Dame (QB) |
| 1999–2001 | San Diego Chargers (WR) |
| 2002 | Stanford (OC/QB) |
| 2003–2004 | Utah (OC/RB) |
| 2005–2009 | UNLV |
| 2010–2011 | Louisville (AHC/OC/TE) |
| 2012 | Utah State (AHC/RB/TE) |
| 2013–2016 | Indiana State |
| 2017–present | Western Kentucky (RB/ST) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 34–73 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year (2014) | |
Michael Charles Sanford (born April 20, 1955) is an American college football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) from 2005 to 2009 and at Indiana State University from 2013 to 2016. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), where he played quarterback for the Trojans from 1973 through 1976. His son, Mike Sanford, Jr., is the head coach at Western Kentucky University.
On December 6, 2004, UNLV hired Sanford as the school's ninth head coach, taking over for the legendary John Robinson who went 2–9 his final year. Sanford inherited a program in decline. Some had blamed the program's problems on an inability to keep local talent at home. It was hoped that Sanford would reverse the fortunes of the long-suffering program with this new policy. His first two years at the helm produced just four total wins, on par with John Robinson's final season total.
Sanford's Rebels achieved one of biggest victories in UNLV football history, a 23–20 overtime win at 15th-ranked Arizona State on September 13, 2008. Sanford said it was the biggest win of his coaching career.
At the end of the 2009 season, UNLV announced it had fired Sanford. He left the Rebels after five seasons with an overall mark of 16–43.
On December 14, 2012, Indiana State hired Sanford as the school's twenty-fourth head coach, taking over for Trent Miles who went 7–4 his final year.
The ensuing regime change for the Sycamores led to a season fraught with a struggle to adjust to the system implemented by Sanford and his new staff, multiple injuries to several key starters, and many off-field issues which led to Indiana State losing all but one game that season (a 70-7 victory over Quincy). Despite finishing the 2013 season with a disappointing 1-11 record, Sanford's Sycamores were more competitive than the overall record might indicate, with close losses to Purdue, Tennessee Tech, Youngstown State, South Dakota, and Western Illinois.
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