Bob Davie fired from New Mexico, Tony Sanchez fired from UNLV

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UNLV will part ways with coach Tony Sanchez after Saturday's season finale, the school announced Monday.
Sanchez is 19-40 in five seasons with the Rebels, who are 3-8 this season. UNLV failed to make a bowl game during Sanchez's tenure and are 12-27 in Mountain West play during that time. Sanchez will coach in Saturday's finale at Nevada.
"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 in a prepared statement. "I'm proud of our student-athletes and our staff and how we have positioned the program for future success."
Tony Sanchez's last game as UNLV coach will be against in-state rival Nevada. Marc Sanchez/Icon SportswireBefore UNLV, Sanchez coached Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman. He had strong local connections and had been instrumental in fundraising efforts for the $34 million Fertitta Football Complex, which opened earlier this fall.
After UNLV finished 4-8 in 2018, athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois issued a statement that Sanchez would return in 2019 but that the school was looking forward to a season "including bowl eligibility." Reed-Francois on Monday thanked Sanchez for his contributions, saying in a statement: "He made us better. Because of his work and his vision, we have the best facilities in the Mountain West and rival some of the best in the country. What he has done for the football community in Las Vegas during his five years as UNLV and his six years at Bishop Gorman High School has been remarkable."
UNLV will begin a search for Sanchez's replacement immediately.






New Mexico coach Bob Davie will not return as the Lobos' football coach in 2020, the school announced Monday.
Davie, who is 35-63 since taking over in November 2011, will coach the Lobos (2-9, 0-7 Mountain West) in the regular-season finale against Utah State on Saturday
"In stepping aside, I'm proud of what we accomplished at UNM, but we are all disappointed that we have not been able to sustain the success that we achieved and all desire," Davie said in a statement. "My family and I will be forever grateful to UNM for giving me the opportunity to coach again."
His eight-season tenure is tied for the second-longest in program history. Davie was hired at New Mexico after spending 10 years at ESPN, which followed a five-year run as the head coach at Notre Dame (1997-2001), where he went 35-25.
"After meeting with Coach Davie this morning, we both agree that the time has come for a new direction for our football program," New Mexico athletic director Eddie Nuñez said in a statement. "I'm appreciative of the work that Coach Davie has done at UNM."
Davie's best season at New Mexico came in 2016, when the Lobos won nine games and the New Mexico Bowl. That 23-20 win against UTSA is one of the program's two bowl wins since 1961. The other came in 2007 under current San Diego State coach Rocky Long.
Since 2016, New Mexico has gone just 2-21 in Mountain West play.
Davie was hospitalized with a serious medical condition following his team's season-opening win against Sam Houston State on Aug. 31. He missed the next two games, including a win against New Mexico State, before returning for the Lobos' game at Liberty on Sept. 28.
New Mexico is the fifth FBS program to make a head-coaching change this year, joining Rutgers, Florida State, Arkansas and UNLV.

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Former four-star Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) QB Tate Martell — who began his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Miami — will attend UNLV this fall, a source has told WFNY.

Martell goes back home to Vegas and still has two years of eligibility remaining.

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Fresno State senior running back Ronnie Rivers is being recognized as one of the top players in the nation.
Rivers was named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is awarded annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the College Player of the Year.
This marks the second consecutive season that Rivers has been named to the watch list.
Following the pandemic-ridden 2020 season – which was supposed to be his final year with the Bulldogs – Rivers chose to return to Fresno State and utilize the extra season granted by the NCAA because of the pandemic.
As a dual-threat out of the backfield, Rivers returns to the Bulldogs with 35 career touchdowns, five back of Bulldog leader Ryan Matthews.
He also ranks seventh in program history for career all-purpose yards with 4,021 and seventh in career rushing yards with 2,629.
In last year’s pandemic-shortened season, which saw the Bulldogs only play six games, Rivers racked up 507 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 265 receiving yards and an additional two touchdown receptions.
With only one rushing attempt in the 2020 season finale against New Mexico due to an injury, Rivers was effectively prominent in five games. Rivers averaged 154 yards of total offense per game in that span. Even with the injury, Rivers put up 136.3 all-purpose yards per game, which was still the best in the Mountain West.
Rivers, a two time All-Mountain West selection, is one of 80 players to be named to the watch list.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on Nov. 1, and the three finalists will be named on Nov. 22. The Maxwell Award will be presented on Dec. 9 as part of the annual ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show.