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Western Kentucky fires coach Mike Sanford after his second season

Western Kentucky has fired coach Mike Sanford after only two seasons.

Sanford, 36, went 9-16 as Hilltoppers coach after previously serving as Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

He went 6-7 in his first year with a Cure Bowl appearance but slipped to 3-9 this fall. Western Kentucky won its final two games, including its first-ever win at Louisiana Tech on Saturday, but that couldn't save Sanford's job.

"His commitment to bettering the lives of our student-athletes is unquestioned," athletic director Todd Stewart said in a prepared statement.