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."
Before 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.