Kentucky quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders told the Asheville Citizen-Times that he is interested in the head coaching job at Western Carolina.
Sanders, a former offensive coordinator at Tennessee, is in his second season with the Wildcats and took on additional duties as recruiting coordinator this season.
“It’s a good university, a good location and they are looking for a head coach," Sanders told the newspaper on Tuesday. "I would definitely be interested.”
Sanders declined to answer a question about having any contact with Western Carolina officials, saying, “I’m going to let them answer that question.”
Western Carolina athletic director Chip Smith, who earlier had identified Sanders as someone who had been recommended to him for the job, declined to answer that question.
Smith said he was just getting started in the process of talking to prospective candidates.
Smith fired head coach Kent Briggs and his staff on Nov. 12 after Briggs finished 1-10 to wrap up a six-year career with the Catamounts with a 22-43 record.
Sanders, a native of Morristown, who played quarterback at Tennessee, has never been a head coach.
He has been an assistant coach in the SEC since 1991, including 15 years at his alma mater.
Sanders coached receivers, running backs and quarterbacks with the Vols before becoming the offensive coordinator following the 1998 regular season.
Sanders resigned under fire during the 2005 season when the UT offense struggled and the Vols finished 5-6.
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Comments » 54
Ironcity writes:
Good luck but I think if you wait you can do better
wrvlvolfan writes:
I think Sanders would do a fine job at Western. He could actually bring some discipline to the program and given 2-3 years give App some competition.
Volchaz writes:
I think Randy has earned a shot as a Head Coach, and hope he gets it.
MrBamSeydu writes:
I think everyone has a short term memory. Randy Sanders had Woodson to make him look good the past 2 seasons. Kentucky still finished with average seasons, just like always. He didn't recruit any major players to Kentucky... so what did he really do? His play calling ability is still mundane at best. He'd be doing real well to get a head coaching job, even at a small school like Western Carolina. GO VOLS!!!
letshave1more writes:
GO get em tiger! I bet he does not last four years.........
Stumps writes:
if he gets a head coaching job, this would be the place to start... some folks are great coaches and coordinators, but not head coaches (norv turner). I'm not convinced this guy has all the right stuff for a head coaching job, and I see no reason why a big time school would take a chance on him.
qball77 writes:
I think Woodson did not really develop until Sanders got there. I saw an interview with Woodson recently. He said that Sanders rode him really hard when he first got to Kentucky because he was (self-admittedly) lazy and did not have much work-ethic. So I think you have to really give Sanders a lot of credit for Woodson's success.
That being said, I don't know if he will be such a good head coach based on disparity of offensive numbers at UT between his time there and Cutcliffe's. Sounds like he is a top notch position coach though.
todd#529269 writes:
Good luck Coach!
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
Sanders would be a good selection for the West Carolina job, but his player development skills must be called into question. If I remember right, he was Clausen's QB coach and IMO, Clausen never reached his true potential. He arrived on campus and immediately made an impact as a freshman. His sophomore year was much of the same, but his junior and senior years, he never achieved that true star potential that he showed his frosh and soph years. Clausen was a winner and played really well at times, but never was able to climb that ladder. And who could forget that 2005 debacle. Yeah, he was OC but he still had a hand in the QBs.
As far as recruiting goes, IMO he has done fairly well. He's the one who found Arian Foster way out in San Diego. How's that one worked out? Every head coach must start somewhere. Some start out at small schools and some are fortunate enough to start out at major programs (i.e. Fulmer). He's in a favorable area for recruiting; close to the VA Tidewater area, SC, FL, GA. He will do well at a small school, and given enough time will turn that program around.
And a message to the Western Carolina AD, give the play calling duties to someone else.
FWBVol writes:
Randy Sanders, although now at Kentucky, will always be a Tennessee man. He showed that loyalty to the UT program when he stepped down as OC in 2005. Some of you might say he saw the writing on the wall, but whether or not that's the case, he stayed true to UT.
Only time will tell if he becomes a head coach and if he really is head coach material. I believe he has earned the right to have a shot at success or failure as a head coach. If he does well at a Western Carolina then he would become one of the hot commodities in the coaching world.
From one Tennessee guy that never played football to one that did, Good Luck Randy Sanders.
jdcvols#230433 writes:
As soon as I read the headlines, I knew the beatings would start. He has moved on people and is making an impact at KY. There is no point in continuing to bash him.
tenvolone writes:
Past due.
tigervol9802 writes:
Had Watson Brown not have come home to Cookeville, Sanders would be your coach at TN Tech right now.
I think a head coaching job at the 1-AA ranks would fit him well. He's not a 1-A head coach, but I think he could handle a job like Western Carolina and do it well.
And for what it's worth, a few of the running backs at UT who he was the position coach for - Charlie Garner, James Stewart, Aaron Hayden, Jay Graham, Jamal Lewis, Travis Stephens, Travis Henry.
How many of those would rank in the Top 10 RBs in UT history?
Good luck to Coach Sanders.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
some of you guys are such a$$holes. the guy is a Vol, put his heart and time into our program. His calls in 1998 helped get us the NC, and the 2001 Vols were almost there.
He hit a downcycle like anyone else. Have some freakig class and wish the guy well.
cphil writes:
Everybody that's been so down on Randy Sanders just fell for the company line that was dished out after the '05 season in making him the scapegoat. Randy deserved better than the treatment he got from UT then, and he more than deserves an opportunity to be a head coach.
Volunatic writes:
Randy Sanders is a very good position coach in Division 1A. Hopefully, he can continue to develop his coaching style at Western Carolina. I think this would be a great opportunity for him, and I wish him well.
KCSD writes:
Sanders is a joke - just like Fat Phil and the rest of the Vols coaches. Only thing about Sanders is he took the fall for Fat Phil.
stelo24 writes:
KCSD must have a complex!!!
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
Hey mparker12:
Cut was OC in 98, but Sanders called the plays in the NC game. Cut was on his way to Oxford.
TommyJack writes:
TnVolfanSmyrna: Absolutely correct.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
marc_ash;
whatever you say; Sanders is/was an honorable man, and took a prety big hit to protect the fact that Fulmer had gone soft.
Sanders was the OC in the NC game, Cutcliffe was gone.
Think I'm an a$$hole?? Good for you. Get your facts straight.
TommyJack writes:
Sanders was a loyal soldier. I wasn't thrilled with his performance as OC here. OTOH, one can wonder if he had free reign as OC. In any event, give the guy a chance. Fate is fickle. You never know how this may turn out.
andy112382#209793 writes:
I said it before and I'll say it again, he is a very solid coach, I am just not sure of his abilities as a coordinator and having many more responsibilities added to his workload. He was a good positional coach at Tennessee, but struggled at being innovative as the OC and did not manage the offense as a whole well, for example, Pat Washington did not have the WRs even knowing how to block or run routes, as an OC, Sanders should have stepped up and fixed that issue.
lnbadger320 writes:
Randy is a classy guy, no matter what you thought of him as an OC. i wonder how much was really his fault while he was here. i would love to see his coaching career excel. he represents the vol nation well.
GrandCanyonVol writes:
I hope Randy Sanders the very best. I hope he makes it big time. He did not deserve what he got here. He was truely a Tennessee guy.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Sanders is not a bad guy and I think WNC might be a pretty good fit for him. He could be happy in the mountains (as I would) and stay right there for the duration, or could do really well proving worthy to rise on up, or if it does not work out at all, could move on but at least say he tried it. Take off that blue, Randy, and bring Lonas Seiber with you.
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
I'll admit, it takes a helluva man to do what Sanders did at the end of '05. Whether it was through somebody else's persuasion or his own, he fell on the sword. We'll never know whether he was calling his own plays or the plays he was told to call. He's stand-up, has heart and character, and to all accounts, a good family-man. Being at a small school gives a newly christened head coach time to build a program. Not like some of these other coaching positions (i.e. Arkansas, or maybe LSU). There is no pressure from boosters or from outside entities. Heck, given Western Carolina's geographic location and his willingness to recruit, he can follow South Florida's formula. Didn't they just start playing Div I ball four or five years ago, and weren't they ranked #6 in the country earlier this season? They were able to get the players that weren't quite good enough to play at the Florida's or the Florida State's or the Miami's of the world, but were good enough for the South Florida's of the college landscape. There are decent players in that part of the country. If/when he's offered the job, I hope he takes it. He is what a small program like Western Carolina needs: a coach that is not flashy, a coach that can earn and keep a player's respect, and a coach that will bust his @$$ to get the job done. Say what you will, Sanders seems to be the perfect fit for that program.
jweaver3#395614 writes:
He was a servicable quarterback, didn't lose you games but didn't win you any either. I think the same would happen if he were a coach. He has not done a lot to help Woodson this year. I believe Woodson had the talent and with a good quarterback coach he could have been a top 5 pick!!!
Good Luck in the future coach Sanders but I'm not sure you will ever be a good head coach, but stranger things have happened!!!
TXVOLSFAN
Volchaz writes:
mparker12, get your facts straight!! The championship game was technically in January of "99, Sanders was never our OC in 98.
FWBVol writes:
Randy Sanders was a backup to Jeff Francis throughout his UT playing career. I think he started one or two games. If I remember correctly, he had already graduated in 1988 and decided to give up football for law school or something. But when Francis was injured and Sterling Henton and Andy Kelly were questionable as young backups, Sanders came back at the request of the coaches. From there he got into coaching almost as a second thought and realized how much he loved it.
People talk about any coach as a position coach or coordinator, but you really never know if a guy can handle things until he is given the chance. Maybe Randy Sanders will have some ideas about defense we never thought of. Or maybe he knows some young hot shot that would make a great defensive coordinator.
I honestly don't know if he will be a good head coach or not, but again, I wish him the best.
Ironcity writes:
Sanders wasn't ready to be an OC when Fulmer brought him in. He has proven however to be a good coach and from what I understand a great recruiter.
WC is a terrible job and it equates to Duke at Div 1. If he takes that job he will almost assuredly fail.That said, good luck with whatever decision you make.
bustervols writes:
Isn't the campus in Dillsboro? Such a nice, beautiful area. I thought Western Carolina was a chick school. I wish him well, such a nice boy.
breecejr writes:
Sanders isn't as bad, nor is he great. I am not convinced he's ready to be a head coach though. If he gets decent coordinators, he would do alright. Best of luck to him though, you can say a lot of bad things about the guy, but he was still Orange through and through.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
TnVolFaninSmyrna, you said it. We'll never really know the story about Randy Sanders' departure. He knows, Fulmer knows and maybe a few other people know.
I've heard, from fairly reliable sources close to the coaching staff (defense), that Sanders wasn't really the bona fide OC but that Fulmer was calling most of the plays and often overruled Sanders.
I've also heard that Sanders was encouraged to fall on his sword for Fulmer.
No idea if any of this is true -- take it for what it's worth, rumors.
I do believe that our offense after Cut left (99) and before Sanders left (05) was not too bad -- not consistently great or poor. We went 61-26 with two trips to the SEC championship in that period.
Whatever the scenario, I wish Coach Sanders well. He certainly seems like a class act.
He's a Tennessee Vol, always will be, and if he wants a chance to prove himself as a head coach, then he should go for it.
UT_Tim writes:
I hope the man does well but he wasn’t right for UT at the time and still isn’t. UT could have hired anyone in the country as OC when Cutt left but the UT powers that be hired within. A bad move IMO. Sanders wasn’t ready for the move to OC thus Phil was calling some of the plays. Because it took two coaches to do the work of one, everything suffered.
Not having an OC is one of the things that helped run HDN or of Arkansas. People looked at the inconsistencies in the O and blamed it on the lack of an OC.
ebt72 writes:
For those of you that wish Randy well, I thank you. He is a great person, that took the blame for someone else's mistakes. Did you ever hear him say anything negative about UT or Fulmer? Absolutely not. This is the kind of person he is. He definately deserves any opportunity that comes his way. And for those of you that continue to blame him for what happened at UT, why not ask Fulmer about the play calling. You should also try to find something else to do with your time than critize Randy. Get over it and move on, he sure did.
Pullingguard writes:
Where do all these negative heads come from. Is it something in the East Tennessee Water or is it a lack of maturity. Randy Sanders deserves good things for him and his family. If he wants the job a W/C then I certainly hope he recives the opportunity to coach there... He has the experience to get the job, and he probably will.
volntx writes:
Randy Sanders is a Tennessee Volunteer,
"Nuff said"
tenncorncob writes:
Western Carolina would be a great fit for Coach Sanders. His east tennessee roots would help in recruiting the area. We'll never know the limitations Coach Sanders had in his play calling while O/C at UT. Coach Fulmer was conservative has O/C, as interim coach he was wide open, first seven years as H/C he was a mix of both, last ten years since the National Championship he has reverted back to conservative. Go figure. There has been quite a bit of debate about Coach Fulmer and his coaching ability. His supporters have all jumped on the Championship bandwagon telling the rest of us how great a coach he really is. I guess what cornfuses me is this: Tuberville has been linked to the opening at Texas A/M, Miles at Michigan, Spurier to LSU, Nutt to Ole Miss, but never, I mean NEVER is there EVER a rumor concerning Fulmer in either a college opening or an NFL opening, nor of any of his assistants save for Coach Cut. How come? Now before you start attacking me personally, I wear ORANGE about every day even after the Bama blowout. I cut myself last week and sure enough, orange blood. So please, please spare me the "Not a True Fan" routine. Thank you, thank you very much.
asleep#212036 writes:
Sanders was and is a great Vol, no doubt, but he got exactly what he deserved from UT. He got the chance to coach and eventually become the OC. He got a NC ring and several SEC rings. He made a lot of contacts in the SEC and around the nation. In the end, he couldn't handle the OC job and was asked to leave, which he dutifully did. Woodson did progress after Sanders arrived and the offense was quite good. I say give him a chance - it's 1AA so you gotta figure a guy like Sanders brings a lot to the table with recruiting, 1A coaching experience, ability to work with superstar talent, etc... Who knows? A few years as a HC, if he is successful, and he might be a viable option to return someday. Wouldn't that be a hoot. Go Vols!!!
GreerVol22 writes:
right on sjt. Nice guy, Orange and all that, but as an OC....sucked. Managed to turn Ainge into a retard at QB.
budd#207344 writes:
For those of you who want to beat up sanders, he did a great job with Woodson. He did a great job with the RBs at TN And guess who had Woodson before Sanders? Kurt Roper.
Volnut writes:
Sanders is a class act regardless of opinons of others on this site and elsewhere. He took the axe for another man's short comings and never said a word nor would he. Best of luck in whatever Randy decides.
huntined#565710 writes:
Coach Weiss at N.D. should be on a plane and get Sanders there as Q.B. Coach. He would be great to work with those young Q.BS there. And he would make more money then as a Head Coach at a small school
chrisw2967 writes:
I for one thought Sanders was the problem but now I dont think he was ,I think he was doing what PF was telling him to do. I hope he gets the job and does well. People can blame all of the problems Tenn had on him but who was our head coach during that time ?
Isnt he the man in charge of all the other coaches ? Sanders was nothing but a fall guy for PF and people on here knows thats true.
I have to agree with a post on here about all these openings and you never hear any school going after Fulmer or any other coach we have and over the years I dont ever remember hearing his name going around as a school wanting him to leave Tenn to come and coach.The only reason Fulmer is a loyal coach and to the university this is the only job he can get.
ellisonfamily writes:
Andre Woodson was a below average quaterback until two years ago, when Randy Sanders arrived. Sanders did not have Woodson to make him look good. Quite the contrary. Sanders help make Woodson look good. If Randy can still recruit like he did at UT, I think he'll do fine.
utclassof1992 writes:
I think that RS was a great RB and QB coach. He was not detail and discipline oriented, and that killed him as OC. I think he might be what a young program like WC needs, provided he has sense enough to hire coordinators that are into detail and discipline. Randy would make a good spokesman for a young program and would be good at maintaining the collective team cool under pressure. He was great at that with the RBs and QBS when he was a position coach.
volinc writes:
Sanders didn't deserve the phooey he got when he was in Knoxville and doesn't need the bashing on here now. He was a class act regardless of his coaching ability and gave his all for Tn and Ky. We should just wish him the best and leave it at that.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I think Randy would do fine at Western C. If the situation came up for someone to be thrown to the wolves, he'd only have to think back to his mentor Phil. Oh, I bet he wouldn't insist on his OC standing beside him by the bench. You see where Cut is, whether Phil gets lonesome or not. I don't blame Chavis, I wouldn't want to watch this defense from a great view either. Maybe, someday he'll get the chance ala Appy State vs Michigan , naw that would be too good! Go Vols.
WNCVOLFANOF8 writes:
Being 20 min. from campus, trust me Sanders would do wonders for Western. Funny thing he helped recruit Crompton and now he could be coaching his rival QB in High School at Pisgah. But seriously would be great for the school.Pretty bad when the local news had the WCU hippies on TV talking that there was no school spirit with Briggs. ANYTHING COULD AND WILL HELP !
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