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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Lures Stanford Offensive Coordinator
1/2/2003 12:00 AM | Football
Jan. 2, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY -
Mike Sanford, a 26-year college and NFL coaching veteran, has hired on as Utah's new offensive coordinator. He will also coach the Ute running backs. Sanford left a similar post at Stanford to work for first-year Ute Head Coach Urban Meyer.
Before spending last season as the Stanford offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Sanford worked with the San Diego Chargers of the NFL, Notre Dame, USC, Purdue, Long Beach State, Virginia Military Institute and Army. He and Meyer coached alongside each other at Notre Dame from 1997-98-Sanford as quarterbacks coach and Meyer as wide receivers coach.
"Mike and I worked together at Notre Dame so I know first hand what a quality person and coach he is," says Meyer of his new offensive coordinator. "Mike is highly respected, especially out west. He has a reputation as a great recruiter and developer of players. He is a veteran coach who has been exposed to a variety of styles of offense and he will bring a wealth of experience to our staff."
Most of Sanford's coaching experience has been at the college level, where he coached for 21 years before serving a three-year stint as wide receivers coach for the San Diego Chargers from 1999-2001.
A native of Los Altos, Calif., Sanford attended college at USC, where he played quarterback and safety for the Trojans from 1973-76. His first coaching position was as a graduate assistant under John Robinson at USC in 1977. From there, he became defensive coordinator at San Diego City College (1978) before serving as wide receivers and tight ends coach at Army from 1979-80. He followed those stints with stops at VMI (1981-82), Long Beach State (1983-86), Purdue (1987-88), USC (1989-96), Notre Dame (1997-98), the San Diego Chargers (1999-01) and Stanford (2002). He coached the wide receivers at Army, VMI, Long Beach State and USC, and oversaw the quarterbacks at VMI, Long Beach State, Purdue and Notre Dame. He also coached the tight ends at both Army and VMI and was the offensive coordinator at Long Beach State from 1985-86.
As an assistant coach, Sanford has participated in eight bowl games-six while at USC and two with Notre Dame. He coached against Utah in the 1993 Freedom Bowl, a 28-21 USC victory. As the wide receivers coach at USC from 1989-96, Sanford assisted in two Pac-10 championships and two Rose Bowl victories (vs. Michigan in 1990 and Northwestern in 1996). Three of his Trojan receivers were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft: Curtis Conway in 1992, Johnnie Morton in 1993 and Keyshawn Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and a consensus All-American in 1995.
His best known pupils as quarterbacks coach were Ron Powlus and Jarius Jackson at Notre Dame. The Irish played in bowl games both years Sanford coached there and Notre Dame went 9-3 in 1998 and advanced to a New Year's Day bowl game (the Gator Bowl).
As the offensive coordinator at Long Beach State, Sanford's passing offense finished fifth in the nation in 1985. The following season, the 49ers finished seventh in the nation in passing offense and his top receiver, Mark Templeton, led the nation in receptions and set an all-time NCAA reception record.
Sanford also enjoyed a successful collegiate playing career. He was the backup quarterback for USC's 1973 and 1974 Rose Bowl teams (the 1974 team beat Ohio State for the national championship), and he played free safety in 1976, when USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and finished second in the nation.
He graduated from USC in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He and his wife Melinda have two children, Lindsay and Michael. Michael is a sophomore reserve quarterback at Boise State.
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