REBELS SHOW PROGRESS — Let Sanford see the job through

It will come Saturday evening at San Diego State, the most significant football game UNLV will have played in eight years.

But regardless if the Rebels win or lose against the lowly Aztecs, whether they become bowl eligible or finish two games under .500, Mike Sanford's future as head coach should be even more solidified come Sunday morning.

Sanford's contract must be extended. It's the fair and correct move to make.

A year remains on his deal, and the Rebels' improvement from last year to this and a collection of promising young talent requires UNLV to now tack on an additional guaranteed season.

The extension shouldn't reach beyond that, because coaches in their fourth season who have yet to deliver a winning record still represent more risk than certainty.

UNLV is still 11-35 overall and 5-26 in Mountain West Conference games under Sanford. Nobody is building any parade floats just yet.

But those at UNLV need to show the intelligence to broaden Sanford's deal while avoiding the idiocy some make when overreacting to the first hint of success.

How much do you think Notre Dame would like to re-think that 10-year extension it bestowed upon Charlie Weis?

A second guaranteed season for Sanford is most important for recruiting, which means it's most important for the only thing that matters in building a winner.

"I haven't even thought about it, honestly," Sanford said. "It's weird. It's coach-speak, but it's true. I have just focused on game-to-game and the season. I try not to worry about that other stuff.

"No question, (job security) makes it a lot easier in the recruiting process. People have been trying to use it against us the last two years. ... People have been telling parents they're not sure this guy will be the coach here. How much they succeeded, I don't know. It's hard to tell. But we had to address it in homes, especially a year ago."

Look, you can draw up contracts however you want. The number of years means nothing. Extend him three but only guarantee one. The only part that matters is the latter.

These things eventually can be eliminated with buyouts anyway. There are ways to protect yourself against sudden progress regressing into more losing results, ways to still consider a different direction without bankrupting the athletic department if for some reason the Rebels don't continue moving forward next year.

But at this point, Sanford should always be working with two years of guaranteed time. He earned that this year. I still have no idea whether he is a good enough head coach to win seven or eight or more games in a season, and neither does anyone else. He has never done it.

I do know the program can be better everywhere on the field, with more positive signs pointing in the offense's direction. The Rebels know how to score in the red zone now. They don't turn the ball over. They have cut down on stupid penalties that defined so much of Sanford's first three seasons.

They are also far from being a decent defensive side, let alone anything beyond that.

Consider: UNLV is 0-5 against teams with winning records. In those games, the Rebels have allowed averages of 41 points and 486 yards. They haven't stopped anyone worth a darn. It's true UNLV has played better defensively the last few weeks as injured players became healthy.

It's also true the Rebels have been defending offenses that rank 93rd nationally in scoring (New Mexico), 120th (Wyoming) and this week they get No. 114 (San Diego State). There is no getting around it. Those teams stink.

But a major part of showing progress is consistently beating people you should. UNLV has done that this season. The most important part of progress, however is number of wins. Going from two to five is notable. Six would be even better.

"I really want to reserve complete evaluation on the season until after the San Diego State game," Sanford said. "I think we have more to do. It's hard to say exactly how I feel about things. This game is so important. Getting a win is so important.

"But up to now, through 11 games, we have definitely improved. We were better last year than the previous year and we're much better this season than last. I expect us to be much better next year.

"I love it here. I love coaching here. I love what I see on the horizon. I can't wait for the future to arrive."

It would have likely taken another two-win season or close to it for UNLV to consider firing Sanford. Paying off one coach and hiring another would've cost in the $1 million neighborhood or more.

You can't justify that in these wretched economic times, not at a university that has been slashing staff and offering buyouts to hundreds of others for months.

They never had to make such a call on Sanford. Instead, they need to immediately make a different kind.

An extension is deserved.

Ed Graney can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com.

2005

2-9

2006

2-10

2007

2-10

2008

5-6