PENSACOLA, Fla. – University of West Florida football head coach Pete Shinnick added a key piece to his defensive coaching staff this week, as he announced the addition of Cory Sanders as the program's first defensive coordinator. Sanders comes to UWF with four years of experience as a head coach at the Division II level, as he led Saint Joseph's College to a 24-19 record over the last four seasons.
 
"Cory did a great job at Saint Joseph's, leading them to back-to-back 8-3 seasons the last two years," explained Shinnick. "A lot of that success was because of their defense, where they were ranked high in numerous categories over the last few years. He fits what we're looking for. He's a great coach, a great person, and he'll bring a lot of excitement to UWF football."
 
Sanders will join O.C. Williams and Alex Krutsch, who were introduced on Dec. 5 as the first defensive coaches to join the staff. Sanders will take over as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Williams' focus will be the defensive backs and Krutsch the defensive linemen. Williams will also be the team's defensive passing game coordinator, while Krutsch takes over as recruiting coordinator.
 
Sanders spent the last five years with the coaching staff at his alma mater, Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind. He was the team's defensive coordinator in 2010 before being promoted to head coach in 2011. During his four years as head coach, the Pumas went 24-19 with a mark of 15-8 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. In his second year in 2012, he led the team to a 6-5 record to mark the team's first winning record since 2006.
 
Sanders finished his time at Saint Joseph's on a high note, leading the team to eight wins in each of his last two seasons. The team boasted one of the top defenses in Division II over those last two years, ranking 15th in scoring defense in 2014 (17.9 points allowed per game) and 14th in total defense in 2013 (305.4 yards allowed per game). The Pumas also broke the school record for total offense (4,594 yards) in 2013 and ranked 14th in the nation in rushing offense (242.6 yards per game) in 2014. During his time as head coach, he had 36 players earn All-GLVC awards.
 
Sanders started his coaching career in 2007 as a defensive backs coach at North Central College, a Division III school in Naperville, Ill. After one season at North Central, he moved on to coach defensive backs at Elmhurst College, a Division III school in Elmhurst, Ill. At both of those stops he helped develop weekly game plans with the defensive coordinator, and he was also Elmhurst's video coordinator.
 
As a student-athlete at Saint Joseph's, Sanders was a three-time captain and four-time selection to the All-Great Lakes Football Conference Team as a defensive back. He helped lead the Pumas to two conference championships, and he was the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player in 2005. He appeared in 44 games in his career, totaling 240 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He ranks fifth in school history with 30.5 tackles for loss.
 
Sanders received his bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in mass communications from Saint Joseph's College in 2007.
 
Sanders' Coaching Resume
2007: North Central (Ill.) (Defensive Backs)
2008-09: Elmhurst (Defensive Backs)
2010: Saint Joseph's (Ind.) (Defensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator)
2011-14: Saint Joseph's (Ind.) (Head Coach)
 
The University of West Florida Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has won eight national championships, and UWF leads all schools in Gulf South Conference history with 79 league championships and 18 all-sports trophies. Football will be the 15th varsity sport at the University. UWF President Judy Bense confirmed on Sept. 4, 2013 that the team will begin playing in 2016, and the University reached an agreement for the team to play its home games at Maritime Park Stadium in downtown Pensacola starting that fall.
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.