University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck announced the hiring of Mike Sanford Jr. today. Sanford will be Minnesota's offensive coordinator and coach quarterbacks for the Gophers. Fleck also announced the promotion of Matt Simon to co-offensive coordinator. Simon will continue to coach wide receivers.
"I am thrilled to welcome Mike, his wife Anne-Marie and kids Peyton, Gunnar and Griffin to Minnesota," said Fleck. "I have known Mike for many years, and he will be an elite addition to our staff. Mike is one of the brightest young minds in the game and brings a wealth of experience to our offensive staff room and our offensive system."
Sanford, 37, has 15 years of coaching experience on his resume and has extensive experience calling plays and coaching quarterbacks. He comes to Minnesota from Utah State where he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019. Prior to his time at Utah State, he was the head coach at Western Kentucky from 2017-18.
Sanford was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame (2015-16) and at Boise State (2014). He has also spent time at Stanford from 2011-13 where in different roles he coached quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and also was the recruiting coordinator.
In 2010, he was the passing game coordinator and coached quarterbacks at Western Kentucky and in 2009 he was at Yale where he coaches tight ends, fullbacks and was the recruiting coordinator.
Sanford was an offensive assistant and worked with quarterbacks at Stanford in 2007-08 and he got his coaching start at UNLV where he was a graduate assistant who worked with specialists and quarterbacks from 2005-06.
Sanford, who is from Lexington, Va., graduated from Boise State in 2005 with a degree in political science. He played quarterback for the Broncos from 2000-04.
"I am thrilled to welcome Mike, his wife Anne-Marie and kids Peyton, Gunnar and Griffin to Minnesota," said Fleck. "I have known Mike for many years, and he will be an elite addition to our staff. Mike is one of the brightest young minds in the game and brings a wealth of experience to our offensive staff room and our offensive system."
Sanford, 37, has 15 years of coaching experience on his resume and has extensive experience calling plays and coaching quarterbacks. He comes to Minnesota from Utah State where he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019. Prior to his time at Utah State, he was the head coach at Western Kentucky from 2017-18.
Sanford was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame (2015-16) and at Boise State (2014). He has also spent time at Stanford from 2011-13 where in different roles he coached quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and also was the recruiting coordinator.
In 2010, he was the passing game coordinator and coached quarterbacks at Western Kentucky and in 2009 he was at Yale where he coaches tight ends, fullbacks and was the recruiting coordinator.
Sanford was an offensive assistant and worked with quarterbacks at Stanford in 2007-08 and he got his coaching start at UNLV where he was a graduate assistant who worked with specialists and quarterbacks from 2005-06.
Sanford, who is from Lexington, Va., graduated from Boise State in 2005 with a degree in political science. He played quarterback for the Broncos from 2000-04.
