Pugh: ISU Welcomes Mike Sanford

Two weeks after Trent Miles leaves for Georgia State, Indiana State lands a new leader. ISU Athletic Director, Ron Prettyman, announced the hiring of Utah State Assistant, Mike Sanford, Friday afternoon. A formal news conference welcoming Sanford to the Sycamores will happen on Monday.

Courtesy: MyLVSports.com

Mike Sanford has built a very impressive resume over the last few years. He's currently the Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs/Tight Ends Coach at #22 Utah State. The Aggies finished the season 10-2 and will play Toledo Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Utah State currently ranks 37th in the nation with 191.7 yards per game.

2012 was Sanford's first and only season with Utah State. Previously, he spent two seasons at the University of Louisville as an Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach. Prior to being a Cardinal, Sanford was Head Coach at UNLV from 2005-2009, with a 16-43 record in Vegas. His coaching resume was one of the big reasons he was high on Indiana State's list.

Sanford will inherit a different Indiana State team than Trent Miles did back in 2008. The Sycamores are no longer one of the nation's worst programs. They are also coming off three straight winning seasons for the first time since the 60's. Indiana State will have some holes to fill next season, but there's still plenty of talent around Sycamore county. Pairing one of the best running backs in the nation with an offensive minded Sanford could mean big things for the ISU offense in 2013.