Mike Sanford relishes chance to coach at Faith Lutheran

In more than 40 years of coaching, Mike Sanford can’t remember an offseason quite like this one.

That’s mostly because a normal offseason doesn’t last a full year. It’s been almost exactly a year since Sanford, who was UNLV’s football coach from 2005-09, was hired to lead the Faith Lutheran High program, then watched helplessly as the fall season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, he will finally coach his first game for the team when he leads the Crusaders onto their home field against Moapa Valley at 4:30 p.m. to begin their four-game spring season.

“Longest offseason in the history of football,” Sanford said. “It’s just taken forever. It’s the only time in my career I have not started football practice in August, so that was a weird August and September.”

Sanford has a lengthy resume that includes a four-year stint as coach at Indiana State from 2013-16 and numerous stops as a position coach or coordinator at the college level.

He also spent three years in the NFL as the wide receivers coach for the San Diego Chargers from 1999-01.

Despite all of those stops, the 65-year-old said the competitive juices are flowing as much as they ever have, and he’s excited to see what Faith Lutheran can continue to build.

“I love coaching here. It’s a different time in my life,” Sanford said. “I did the college thing, and I was in the NFL for three years. I’ve traveled around the country, and I’m excited to be back in Las Vegas, especially in Summerlin. We love it over here and at Faith Lutheran.”

Sanford got his first true look at the Crusaders last week when they scrimmaged Bishop Gorman. He said that experience was invaluable because he found out what they need to work on, something that’s difficult to discern when the team is “practicing in underwear,” Sanford’s term for when it is not in full pads.

Faith Lutheran won’t play for a championship this spring, but the team still has goals.

Offensive and defensive lineman Nalu Shimizu, who has signed to play at Idaho State, is looking forward to a chance to beat Gorman when they meet March 26 and “make school history.” He also hopes to use the spring to keep working on his craft for the fall.

For senior quarterback Grant Wood, it’s a final opportunity to get game film that he hopes will lead to a late scholarship offer. He said he’s talking to a few schools and that Sanford has helped him with that process.

“This spring is really important to me,” Wood said. “Going into college, it would have been two years since I’ve played in an actual tackle game. I feel like I’ll be more prepared.”

When coaches take a new job, they often talk about changing the culture. That’s not the case for Sanford, who found the Faith Lutheran program with a solid foundation left by Vernon Fox, who resigned in February 2020 with a 53-28 record in seven seasons. Fox took the Crusaders from a Class 3A state champion to one that will play in 5A in the fall.

Sanford said the transition between coaching staffs couldn’t have been smoother.

“He (Fox) has been excellent,” Sanford said. “What happens a lot in college and pro football is the outgoing staff doesn’t want much to do with the new staff. But Vernon, his faith shines through with how he handled the transition. The really cool thing is I have the coach before him, Jake Kothe, on my staff. The three of us have a great relationship.”

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.