Football | March 13, 2018

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan head football coach Tim Lester has announced the hiring of Nick Sanchez as an assistant coach. Sanchez will oversee the Bronco cornerbacks.

A Belle Glade, Florida, native, Sanchez was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at cornerback at Stanford, playing for the Cardinal from 2003 to 2007. Sanchez later signed with the Oakland Raiders and then played with the Central Valley Coyotes and the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. At the conclusion of his professional football career, Sanchez began his coaching career. He comes to Western Michigan after most recently spending the last three seasons as cornerbacks coach at UAlbany. He also was promoted to assistant defensive coordinator after the 2017 season.

Prior to UAlbany, Sanchez was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Ave Maria University in Florida. He spent the 2011 season as a graduate assistant for defensive backs at Syracuse and the 2012 spring season working with the Orange linebackers.

Sanchez's experience as a Pac-12 cornerback, as well as his professional playing and coaching experience make him one of the quickest rising coaches in the collegiate football ranks. Sanchez also has strong southern Florida recruiting ties through his Belle Glade roots and has recruited the area at his previous two coaching stops.

"Nick is a Belle Glade native and was valedictorian of his class before heading to Stanford. He was a technician corner at Stanford where he had a great career and he's a specialist corner coach," Lester said. "He's a guy that played the position and can go out there and show our players how it's done. I'm excited for him to go to work because everywhere he has gone his secondaries have led the league in picks and have been really successful.

"Nick is someone I have always wanted on staff and when the position became open it was a no-brainer. I called other coaches that have worked with him and one of the first things they talked about was how good of a recruiter he is. Everyone always does a good job in their backyard and that fact that his backyard is Florida is huge for us."

In 2016 UAlbany led the FCS in total turnovers forced with 32, including 17 interceptions, which ranked 12th most in the nation. The Great Danes also had the No. 8 ranked scoring defense. In 2017 UAlbany had the No. 9 ranked total defense in the nation. Both seasons the team ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense. Sanchez mentored cornerback Rayshan Clark to all-conference honors in 2016 with five interceptions and two fumble recoveries, scoring defensive touchdowns in three games. Clark finished 12th in the nation in interceptions per game.

At Ave Maria University, Sanchez's defense ranked seventh in the country in third down defense in 2014, holding the opposition to a 28.9 percent conversion rate. In addition, four members of the defense were selected to the All-Sun Conference Team. In 2013, Sanchez helped lead Ave Maria to an 8-2 overall record and an Independent Conference Championship, and was selected to coordinate the defense for the NAIA team in the NAIA vs. D2 Senior Bowl.

Prior to Ave Maria, Sanchez was a graduate assistant under Scott Shafer at Syracuse University. He began his coaching career as a defensive backs coach at Pace University in 2010.

A 2008 graduate of Stanford with a bachelor of arts in communication, Sanchez closed his Cardinal career with 153 tackles, including eight for a loss of yards, seven interceptions, 19 passes defended, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.