Mike Sanford enters his second year as Western Kentucky’s head football coach with the clearer picture of what the Hilltoppers can accomplish on the field and just what they face in trying to reclaim a top spot in Conference USA.
Experience brings wisdom, or at least the opportunity to gain some. And speaking with media members after Thursday’s first day of fall practice, Sanford certainly sounded like a man who has embraced the lessons – both positive and harsh – acquired from an up-and-down season last year in his debut as a college football head coach.
Sanford’s first year at WKU was at times as uneven as the Hilltoppers’ pass-heavy offense – shaking off a 1-2 start with four straight victories, then a three-game skid before a thrilling three-overtime win over C-USA East division rival Middle Tennessee followed by a thudding 41-17 road loss to Florida International.