Sanders starts his fourth year at TSU after joining the coaching staff in 2019 as the team’s defensive backs coach. He brings a wealth of experience as both a coach and player across all levels of football.

Faced with a mix of veterans and true freshmen in the secondary entering the 2021 campaign, Sanders got the most from his unit as redshirt freshman cornerback Isaiah Hamilton flourished as he finished third on the team with 41 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. Fellow freshman CJ Henderson worked his way into the starting lineup at safety and responded with several impressive outings. The secondary broke up 28 passes as a unit in 2021 despite a number of players playing multiple positions. Hamilton and senior Josh Murray both finished in the SWAC's top 20 in passes defended.

After only one season under the eye of Sanders, the play of the secondary raised eyebrows during the 2021 spring season as the secondary tandem of Matthew Williams and Isaiah Hamilton combined to break up six passes in only two games played as both finished 3-4 in the SWAC. Alec Prince also came on strong as he led TSU with 14 tackles and a sack.

In Sanders' first year at TSU in 2019, defensive backs JaCorey Benjamin and Byron Edwards both finished in the SWAC's top 20 in passes defended. Benjamin, a true freshman, and Edwards, a redshirt senior, combined to break up 14 passes and recorded four interceptions.

Sanders came to TSU after spending three seasons at nationally acclaimed junior college power East Mississippi Community College. Featured on the popular Netflix series Last Chance U, EMCC won back-to-back NJCAA National Championships and three consecutive MACJC State Championships under his watch. EMCC finished with a 23-1 record over the past two seasons and ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense after the 2018 season.

Before joining the staff at East Mississippi, Sanders was on the staff at Texas A&M as a graduate assistant in the secondary during a pair of eight-win seasons and back-to-back bowl game appearances.

Prior to his recent stint in College Station, Texas, Sanders received his first taste of collegiate coaching experience at the University of North Carolina.  As a two-year defensive graduate assistant for the Tar Heels, Sanders helped mentor 2014 NFL Draft selections Tre Boston and Jabari Price of the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.  Sanders was also a part of UNC's 2013 Belk Bowl-winning team.

A native of Pearl, Miss. Sanders started his coaching career in his home state of Mississippi as a mathematics teacher and assistant coach in Quitman and Richland School Districts. After helping lead Quitman High School to three straight playoff appearances and developing four All-South State players as an assistant coach, he spent the 2011 campaign as Richland's defensive coordinator while also serving as head coach of the school's junior high football squad.  

As a player, Sanders began his career at Northeast Mississippi CC and was voted the 2005 MACJC North Division's Defensive Back MVP in addition to helping lead the NEMCC Tigers to a 7-2 record, postseason bowl appearance and No. 15 final NJCAA ranking. He caught the attention of the University of Illinois and helped make history in 2007 as the Fighting Illini made a complete turnaround from the previous year by finishing 9-4 along with an upset over No. 1 ranked Ohio State on the road. Illinois earned a berth to the prestigious Rose Bowl and finished No. 20 in the final AP ranking, Sanders had 57 total stops, including four tackles for loss, eight pass breakups and three forced fumbles en route to earning a free agent contract with the NFL’s Detroit Lions in 2008.

Sanders and his wife, Ravonda, have a daughter, Journee.