The Arizona soccer local community is mourning the loss of life of previous Phoenix Brophy Prep soccer coach Tim Sanford, who was inducted into the school’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame in February.
Sanford, who played offensive line and defensive line less than Ed Doherty at Phoenix St. Mary’s in the late 1960s on two state championship teams (1967 and ’68) and a point out runnerup workforce (’69), was owning heart challenges and was hospitalized this week.
He died on Friday at age of 69.
Sanford expended his very last five decades of coaching at Arizona Christian College, encouraging with the offensive line, right before retiring from the industry two yrs ago.
“He experienced an amazing vocation,” ACU coach Jeff Bowen stated. “A terrific man. Pretty calm demeanor. He was anyone you would want your son or your grandson to coach, since you knew he was going to handle him correct.”
Sanford was inducted into the Arizona Substantial School Football Coaches Corridor of Fame in 2014.
He led the Broncos from 1985-2002, compiling a 128-70-2 data and 16-13 playoff file with three regional championships, four state semifinal look and two point out runnerup teams in 1996 and ’98.
Sanford led Brophy at the peak of the St. Mary’s football rivalry in the 1980s and ’90s with powerful battles in opposition to his former St. Mary’s teammate, Pat Farrell.
Sanford was the Arizona high faculty football Coach of the Year in 1991, ’96 and ’98. One of the finest gamers he coached was managing back again Mike Mitchell, who went on to standout occupation at Stanford.
Sanford will go into the National Significant Faculty Athletic Coaches Corridor of Fame in Iowa in June posthumously,
“Words are not able to really describe how particular Tim Sanford was as a coach, as a trainer, as a mentor and as a mate,” previous Brophy Prep longtime assistant Gary Hernandez posted on social media. “Under his assistance, Brophy football turned a powerhouse nonetheless his effects on gamers, coaches and Arizona soccer is outside of the subject of enjoy.
“He shared his football understanding with grace and class yet how he lived his everyday living is how he influenced a local community as he seemed at the opponent not as an enemy but a respected adversary to increase higher than.”
Sanford labored 30 decades as a math trainer at Brophy Prep. Immediately after his coaching job ended at Brophy, he assisted out Donnie Yantis at Paradise Valley.
Monthly bill Woods, who taught and coached with Sanford at Brophy, termed Sanford a good teacher in the classroom and on the discipline.
“He taught me how to be a greater coach,” Woods said. “When he was inducted into the Brophy Hall of Fame this yr, he had gamers occur in from across the state to celebrate him. He was beloved by his players.”
Jim Sanford, the previous St. Mary’s athletic director who coached his youthful brother in baseball at St. Mary’s, reported that he was enjoying golfing with Tim up until eventually a thirty day period ago. Jim said that Tim has experienced coronary heart troubles for the earlier 8 yrs.
“He built a terrific perception on a whole lot of people today,” Jim stated. “I understood that beforehand. But now with all of these recollections occur flooding in from other folks, it’s just a excellent tribute to Tim and well-deserved.”
Yantis wasted no time in snatching up Sanford at Paradise Valley immediately after Tim was let go as head football mentor at Brophy in 2002
He was the offensive line mentor at Paradise Valley, in advance of becoming Yantis’ offensive coordinator. Sanford was key to getting defensive coordinator Mel Harms to occur on at Paradise Valley to help mentor.
Harms was the DC with Sanford as the OC at Phoenix Moon Valley in the early 1980s underneath Earl Putman. He was OC of the 1982 Moon Valley workforce that went 14- and won in dominating trend with a large-powered Wing T on its way to the state title.
“He made me a much better mentor and a greater male how he carried himself, how organized he was,” mentioned Yantis, who is now coaching in Texas, right after main Valor Christian to the Colorado final two a long time in a row. “He stated he would not appear except he could deliver Mel Harms.
“We had some actually very good decades with those people guys. It was superior to have these fellas. Tim to me is like a mentor/father determine but also like a brother. We stayed in touch. He supported our PV group. Our players loved him, since he was so comfortable-spoken.
“Just one of the gamers texted me this morning and explained, ‘Coach, he had a way when he received on you and was yelling at you, he’d be smiling.’ “
Brophy Prep Principal Bob Ryan claimed that Sanford was the consummate instructor.
“He spent his entire grownup daily life mentoring younger men and women,” Ryan stated. “Whether in the classroom or on the discipline, he was committed to the younger persons in his demand. He will be deeply skipped but his affect will stay on in the life of his former students and players.”
To advise human-desire story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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