Another member of the Arizona Wildcats football fraternity will return to their old stomping grounds and be a part of the Jedd Fisch regime.
Former "Desert Swarm" defensive back Brandon Sanders was named the UA's coordinator of football alumni and high school relations on Thursday.Β
Sanders is the third former UA star to join Fisch's staff, along with Chuck Cecil (defensive backs) and Ricky Hunley (defensive line). The former Pueblo High School coach will be responsible for outreach with former players and alumni, working with the athletic department's "A-Club" and forming on-campus recruiting events and "player development initiatives."Β
"I want to welcome Brandon Sanders back home. We are so excited for him to be a part of bringing back the success he achieved and accomplished as a player during the days of Desert Swarm," Fisch said in a statement.Β
"Brandon reminds us daily of what it looked like during the 1990's and his ability to communicate with our NFL alumni and our high school coaches will be critical to our success as a program."
Pueblo's head coach Brandon Sanders warms up with his team before the No. 13 Pueblo vs. No. 4 Salpointe Catholic 4A playoff game.
Sanders, a San Diego native and Dick Tomey disciple, steps into his new role with connections grounded in Arizona. From 2014-19, Sanders was the head coach of Pueblo High School, where he wentΒ 41-22 (.650) and appeared in the state playoffs three times. Sanders stepped down following the '19 season and started coaching defensive backs on Dixie Wooten's staff with the Sugar Skulls. The IFL shut down the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sanders never coached in a game.Β
As a player, Sanders was a two-time All-Pac-10 safety in 1994 and '95 before playing for the NFL's New York Giants in the NFL and the XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws. At Arizona, Sanders was on a cover of Sports Illustrated magazine alongside teammates Tedy Bruschi, Sean Harris, Jim Hoffman and Tony Bouie. Sports Illustrated picked the "Rock Solid" Wildcats to win it all that year.
UA football player, Brandon Sanders, number 18. Arizona Daily Star file photo.
"I am honored to be given the opportunity to come home by Coach Fisch," Sanders said. "I bleed red and blue, and I am excited to help re-establish our Wildcat culture as a bridge to our football alumni and the Tucson community. The support I have received has been truly humbling, and I know Coach Tomey is looking down with that huge smile of his. I want to thank Coach Fisch and the University of Arizona for making all this possible."Β
