Bishop Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez celebrates after his defense stopped Servite late in the fourth quarter of their game Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. Gorman won the game 31-28.
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015 | 3:25 p.m.
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Kenny Sanchez knows there will be pressure to win football games.
“If we win, it will be because we should have,” he said. “But if we lose, people will think it’s my fault.”
Sanchez was named the Bishop Gorman High coach today, replacing his brother, Tony, who left last month to become the coach at UNLV. Tony Sanchez won the state championship in all six seasons he coached Gorman, compiling an 85-5 record and last fall finishing ranked No. 1 by USA Today.
Kenny Sanchez deserves part of the credit for the success. He’s been the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach since 2009, organizing a defense that allowed an average of 11.6 points per game. He was named the interim head coach when his brother left for UNLV.
“Obviously, I am super blessed and honored they would make me the head coach at Bishop Gorman,” he said. “In six years, I’ve been able to put a little footprint on who I am to where people here respected me enough to give me the job.”
He doesn’t plan to change how the program operates. Players saw that consistency Monday when they arrived for their first offseason workout. Minus Tony Sanchez and quarterbacks coach Ron O’Dell, who also went to UNLV, the coaching staff remains unchanged.
“It doesn’t matter who is at the helm of this thing,” Kenny Sanchez said. “What we always care about is how hard we work, being disciplined and prepared.”
Most of the assistant coaches came with Tony Sanchez from Northern California when he became the Gorman coach in 2009. Craig Canfield, who has been with Sanchez for more than a decade, will be elevated from running backs coach to offensive coordinator. Kenny Sanchez will continue calling defensive plays.
The group has more than a state championship to defend. They are the mythical national champions and will continue playing a schedule of tough out-of-state opponents.
“It’s time to get back to work. It’s 2015,” Sanchez said. “We have a championship to defend.”
Gorman, with its state-of-the-art facilities and other resources, offers one of the nation’s most attractive coaching jobs. Officials, though, didn’t have to look far for their next coach.
“Given Kenny’s longstanding relationship with our school and his critical contributions to the team’s success, we are excited that he has agreed to take over as the head coach of our football program,” Sally Nieman, Gorman’s athletic director, said in a statement. “His knowledge of the team and experience with the program will mean a smooth transition for our players. We are confident in his ability to continue our tradition of excellence.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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