A former Tennessee football assistant guided his team to an FCS playoff victory.
Randy Sanders, a former quarterback and assistant for the Volunteers, is in his fourth season as East Tennessee State’s head coach.
During the first round, East Tennessee State defeated Kennesaw State, 32-31, at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee.
The Buccaneers (11-1) were the 2021 Southern Conference champions and Sanders was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year.
Tight end Nate Adkins recorded seven receptions for 94 yards in the game for East Tennessee State.
Sanders, a graduate of Morristown East High School, played for the Vols between 1984-88 under head coach Johnny Majors.
Sanders launched his coaching career in 1989 as the Vols’ quarterbacks coach.
He was a coach at Tennessee under Majors and Phillip Fulmer. Sanders held coaching positions overseeing quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers before becoming offensive coordinator for the Vols between 1998-2005.
Sanders is a two-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award during his first season, guiding the Buccaneers to a share of the league championship.
East Tennessee State will travel to play North Dakota State Saturday at noon EST in the second round. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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