First-year Notre Dame offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford is a popular man. After coaching up Malik Zaire and redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer, Sanford’s imprint on the high-powered Irish offense has many believing that the young assistant will be on several shortlists for vacant head coaching jobs.
Jobs have opened up at a faster and faster pace, the silly season underway for more than a few weeks as athletic departments jockey for positions. Even Brian Kelly was asked about Sanford’s status in the marketplace, with Kelly saying Sanford wouldn’t be distracted by any of the rumors while the Irish continued their in-season preparation.
With the regular season finished, Sanford’s name is back in the conversation, with select openings connecting the young assistant to a potential new job. But Sanford doesn’t appear to be interested in leaving South Bend after just one season.
Irish Illustrated’s Anna Hickey got the scoop on Sanford as she caught up with Irish QB pledge Ian Book. Sanford and Brian Kelly, together on the West Coast recruiting, both visited Book, where Sanford told him he had no plans of leaving Notre Dame.
Irish QB commit Ian Book on Mike Sanford: "He clarified that he's staying with Notre Dame." ($) https://t.co/KB3j67bech
— Anna Adams (@AnnaH247) December 1, 2015
“He’s staying with Notre Dame,” Book told Hickey. “He said he’s definitely not going anywhere. He’s really happy at Notre Dame and said he doesn’t have any interest in leaving.”
Sanford remaining in town would be a great thing—for all parties involved. While Chuck Martin and Bob Diaco both left South Bend after four seasons for head coaching jobs, neither has had an easy road and both had much more experience. Sanford’s relative youth—not to mention his inexperience as an offensive coordinator, let alone a play-caller—makes sticking around in South Bend for year two (and beyond) a great option. After all, coming to Notre Dame was a big decision and Sanford was willing to leave a great job at Boise State (his alma mater) and uproot his family after turning down opportunities at places like Vanderbilt and Ohio State.
The flip side of that coin is that the perfect job might not always come around. Institutionally, a place like Virginia might be a good fit, and a job that’s in a Power Five conference and has a good recruiting base. But inheriting the mess left behind by Mike London and a program with multiple holes could force Sanford to sink or swim quickly—and take his head coaching shot earlier than maybe he even expected.
Notre Dame’s quarterback situation and offensive firepower also are a factor. The Irish will have a depth chart that’s among the best in college football with Kizer and Zaire at the top and Brandon Wimbush on his way up. So it’s hard to think this is a make-or-break decision for the young assistant, who’ll stay on the radar for as long as the Irish keep scoring points.