Mike Sanford is the new head coach at Valor Christian in Colorado. In 2022, Sanford was elevated from Colorado’s offensive coordinator to head coach when Karl Dorrell was fired in mid-season.
Most of Sanford’s coaching experience is at the collegiate level. Prior to the Colorado job, Sanford was the head coach at Western Kentucky. He was also Offensive Coordinator at Boise State, Notre Dame, Utah State, and the University of Minnesota.
In 2023, Sanford became an assistant coach at Mead High School in Longmont, Colorado.
According to a news release from Valor Christian, “Coach Sanford has coached in multiple bowl games, instructed eight NFL starting quarterbacks, including Jordan Love, and recruited Valor Christian alumnus Christian McCaffrey to attend Stanford University.”
“I could not be more excited about accepting the call of being Valor Christian’s next Head Football Coach,” said Sanford, in that same news release. “My relationship with Valor Christian began in the Fall of 2012 as the Running Back Coach at Stanford University, evaluating a young prospect named Christian McCaffrey. With countless other recruiting visits to Valor over the past decade-plus, I have always loved what Valor has stood for as a decidedly Christian institution preparing leaders to transform the world for Christ while aiming for excellence in all endeavors. This opportunity afforded to me by Bryan Ritz and Keith Wahl fulfills a lifelong dream of mine to unapologetically engage in ministry while competing for state championships at the highest level of football in the great state of Colorado. Valor Christian is excellent in all areas both regionally and nationally, and my goal for the football program is to achieve success at the highest levels both in the state of Colorado and nationally. I cannot wait to get to work making this football program into one of the most desirable places to play high school football in the country.”
Sanford replaces Bret McGatlin, who resigned after three years on the job. McGatlin’s record was 28-8, including 11-2 last season.
Valor Christian, which owns eight overall Colorado high school football championships, hasn’t won a state title since 2018 when the program was led by former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey. That year, the Eagles finished No. 60 in the High School Football America national rankings.
