Marvin Sanders
Encyclopedia
Marvin Sanders most recently served as the Secondary Coach for the University of Nebraska
Cornhuskers
football team.
for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
from 1985 through 1989, earning a letter in each of his last three years. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree
in Business Administration.
coaching
career as an assistant coach for Nebraska Wesleyan University
just two years after he graduated from Nebraska, putting in two years as the Secondary Coach for the Prairie Wolves football team. He was appointed to continue as a Secondary Coach as well as Sports Information Director for the University of Minnesota Morris in Morris, Minnesota
for the 1994 season, and then returned to the State of Nebraska as the Secondary Coach for the Mavericks at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
for 1995. UNO promoted Sanders to Defensive Coordinator
in 1997. During his five-year tenure with the Mavericks, the team won two North Central Conference
championships, and made two appearances in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs.
Sanders was hired into his first Division I-A football coaching position in 2000, when he was named by New Mexico State University
Head Football Coach and fellow Nebraska alum Tony Samuel
as the Defensive Ends
and Outside Linebackers Coach
for the Aggies
. The following season, Colorado State University
Head Football Coach Sonny Lubick
named Sanders as the Secondary Coach for the Rams
. The Rams went 7-5 in 2001, and defeated North Texas in the 2001 New Orleans Bowl
. The 2002 season saw an improvement to 10-4 and a Mountain West Conference
championship, though the Rams ended the season with a 3-17 loss to in the .
brought Sanders back to Lincoln in 2003 amidst a staff shakeup following the Cornhuskers
' first non-winning season since 1961. Sanders was now in charge of the defensive backs at Nebraska, where 47 takeaways on the season set a new school record, and the Nebraska Blackshirts set new school and league records with 32 interceptions, the nation's highest-ranked pass efficiency defense, and the nation's second-best scoring defense. Despite the turnaround, Solich was fired after finishing the regular season 9-3. Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini
subsequently led the team to a 17-3 victory over Michigan State
in the 2003 Alamo Bowl
to finish the team's season at 10-3, but he and Sanders, along with nearly all of the remaining staff, were let go after Bill Callahan was appointed as Nebraska's 31st Head Football Coach.
for 2004. After finishing just 2-10 in 2003 before his arrival, Sanders helped the Tar Heels
improve to a 6-6 (5-3 ACC) record and posting the lowest yards allowed by a UNC defense in three years. Significant defensive improvement at UNC was not to be found going forward, as the squad finished 14-21 (11-13 ACC) over the three years that Sanders ran the Tar Heels defense. UNC Head Football Coach John Bunting was fired halfway through the 2006 season, and replaced by Butch Davis
for 2007. Davis did not retain Sanders in his new staff.
in 2008 after languishing near the bottom of the pack nationally in the years prior. In 2009, two of Sanders' players were named to the All-Big 12 first team, and the Nebraska secondary was among the highest ranked in the nation with the highest-rated pass defense and highest-rated scoring defense, and among the top ten nationally in rushing defense, sacks, and total defense. The 2009 Nebraska secondary intercepted 18 times while only allowing seven touchdown passes all season.
Sanders resigned from Nebraska on February 3, 2011, citing personal and family reasons.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
football team.
Playing career
Sanders played as a defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
from 1985 through 1989, earning a letter in each of his last three years. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Business Administration.
Coaching career
Sanders began his footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coaching
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
career as an assistant coach for Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational university located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2007, it has 1,600 full-time students and 300 faculty and staff. The school teaches in the tradition of a liberal arts college education....
just two years after he graduated from Nebraska, putting in two years as the Secondary Coach for the Prairie Wolves football team. He was appointed to continue as a Secondary Coach as well as Sports Information Director for the University of Minnesota Morris in Morris, Minnesota
Morris, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,068 people, 1,929 households, and 985 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,183.2 people per square mile . There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 482.6 per square mile...
for the 1994 season, and then returned to the State of Nebraska as the Secondary Coach for the Mavericks at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
for 1995. UNO promoted Sanders to Defensive Coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
in 1997. During his five-year tenure with the Mavericks, the team won two North Central Conference
North Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
championships, and made two appearances in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs.
Sanders was hired into his first Division I-A football coaching position in 2000, when he was named by New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
Head Football Coach and fellow Nebraska alum Tony Samuel
Tony Samuel
Tony Samuel is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at Southeast Missouri State University, a position he has held since the 2005 season. Samuel's previous head coaching position was with New Mexico State University from 1997 to 2004...
as the Defensive Ends
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and Outside Linebackers Coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
for the Aggies
New Mexico State Aggies football
The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference ....
. The following season, Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
Head Football Coach Sonny Lubick
Sonny Lubick
Louis "Sonny" Lubick is a former head football coach at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. In his fourth decade as collegiate football coach, the 2007 season marked Lubick's 15th and final year at the helm of a Colorado State program that he built from virtually the ground up...
named Sanders as the Secondary Coach for the Rams
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
. The Rams went 7-5 in 2001, and defeated North Texas in the 2001 New Orleans Bowl
2001 New Orleans Bowl
The 2001 New Orleans Bowl featured the and the . It was the inaugural playing of the game. North Texas became the first team in NCAA history to make a bowl game, after starting the season 0-5...
. The 2002 season saw an improvement to 10-4 and a Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
championship, though the Rams ended the season with a 3-17 loss to in the .
Nebraska under Frank Solich
Nebraska Head Football Coach Frank SolichFrank Solich
Frank Solich is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Ohio University, a position he has held since the 2005 season...
brought Sanders back to Lincoln in 2003 amidst a staff shakeup following the Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
' first non-winning season since 1961. Sanders was now in charge of the defensive backs at Nebraska, where 47 takeaways on the season set a new school record, and the Nebraska Blackshirts set new school and league records with 32 interceptions, the nation's highest-ranked pass efficiency defense, and the nation's second-best scoring defense. Despite the turnaround, Solich was fired after finishing the regular season 9-3. Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini
Bo Pelini
Mark "Bo" Pelini is the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He had previously been defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers...
subsequently led the team to a 17-3 victory over Michigan State
2003 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2003 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2003-2004 college football season.The Spartans play their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the first year for head coach John L...
in the 2003 Alamo Bowl
2003 Alamo Bowl
The 2003 Alamo Bowl was an American football bowl game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Nebraska Cornhuskers played December 29, 2003 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas....
to finish the team's season at 10-3, but he and Sanders, along with nearly all of the remaining staff, were let go after Bill Callahan was appointed as Nebraska's 31st Head Football Coach.
North Carolina
Sanders was named as co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach at the struggling North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
for 2004. After finishing just 2-10 in 2003 before his arrival, Sanders helped the Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
improve to a 6-6 (5-3 ACC) record and posting the lowest yards allowed by a UNC defense in three years. Significant defensive improvement at UNC was not to be found going forward, as the squad finished 14-21 (11-13 ACC) over the three years that Sanders ran the Tar Heels defense. UNC Head Football Coach John Bunting was fired halfway through the 2006 season, and replaced by Butch Davis
Butch Davis
Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.-Early...
for 2007. Davis did not retain Sanders in his new staff.
Nebraska under Bo Pelini
After a one-year absence from coaching, Sanders was again brought back to Nebraska following the firing of Bill Callahan after a four year record of 27-22. Callahan's replacement was former Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini, who had also been let go along with most of Frank Solich's staff after 2003. Pelini installed Sanders as the Secondary Coach for the Cornhuskers as part of his effort to turn around a program that had struggled under Callahan. Nebraska's Blackshirts defense improved to rank as the second best in the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
in 2008 after languishing near the bottom of the pack nationally in the years prior. In 2009, two of Sanders' players were named to the All-Big 12 first team, and the Nebraska secondary was among the highest ranked in the nation with the highest-rated pass defense and highest-rated scoring defense, and among the top ten nationally in rushing defense, sacks, and total defense. The 2009 Nebraska secondary intercepted 18 times while only allowing seven touchdown passes all season.
Sanders resigned from Nebraska on February 3, 2011, citing personal and family reasons.