Notre Dame’s recruiting received a significant boost recently when 2018 quarterback prospect Phil Jurkovec offered his commitment after an unofficial visit to campus. Although still early in the process for 2018 targets, some outlets have tabbed the Gibsonia, Pa., native as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in his class given Jurkovec has the size – he’s six-feet-five-inches – to complement his mobility.
Jurkovec was highly coveted by Urban Meyer and the rest of the Ohio State coaching staff but was ultimately swayed by the relationship developed with one Notre Dame coach in particular in offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Mike Sanford. And while those outside of Notre Dame circles might be surprised to learn a Notre Dame assistant bested Urban Meyer for a prized recruit, those who have followed his career have grown accustomed to his penchant for continuously raising the bar.
Mike Sanford came to Notre Dame last year with an unbelievable amount of hype for a 33-year old assistant coach. Then the offensive coordinator at Boise State, Sanford turned down repeated overtures by Urban Meyer to join the Buckeyes’ staff and instead arrived in South Bend with the reputation of being on nearly every pundit’s short list for the next great head coach in waiting. ESPN even dared to call him the “quarterback whisperer.” And while Sanford’s resume was impressive having been the recruiting coordinator for Stanford for several seasons and leading Boise State to No. 9 in the nation in scoring, the hype was so over the top it made you wonder whether Sanford was arriving to take head coach Brian Kelly’s job. His reputation would be tested in 2015, and he lived up to every bit of the sensationalism he received upon his arrival.
Last spring Sanford was thrust into an awkward quarterback duel between incumbent starter Everett Golson and upstart Malik Zaire, and was left to pick up the pieces when Golson transferred last May. The young quarterback whisperer appeared unfazed to have the relatively inexperienced Zaire making his first career start as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback, and helped Zaire record the second highest completion percentage in program history during a 38-3 shellacking of the Texas Longhorns. Even when the season seemed all but finished with Zaire suffering a season-ending injury against Virginia, Sanford found a way to get Notre Dame to a 10-win season – only the second of the Brian Kelly era – with DeShone Kizer at the helm, a redshirt freshman who had never previously taken a collegiate snap.
As productive as Sanford was on the field for Notre Dame in 2015, his off the field success was just as evident. Javon McKinley, one of the nation’s top wide receivers and a Corona, Calif., native, is the kind of recruit that stays on the West Coast nine times out of ten, but Sanford, the assistant that oversaw McKinley’s recruitment, displayed endless patience and creativity to make McKinley’s family comfortable. He even flew out to Texas to run into McKinley’s mother at a conference and became a firefighter for a day in Los Angeles to spend time with McKinley’s father.
In Texas at a conference. Look who’s here!! A coincidence or nah? pic.twitter.com/55J1n7NFPy
— Still Strill (@stillstrill) December 9, 2015
In just one season with Notre Dame Sanford has completely lived up the hype surrounding him when he first arrived, and has shown all the characteristics of an assistant who could one day become an elite head coach, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by other programs. Rumors connecting Sanford to the likes of Syracuse and Virginia were eventually squashed by Notre Dame quarterback signee Ian Book in a conversation with Scout’s Anna Hickey, but the rumor mill will likely keep churning every offseason.
The reality is Notre Dame likely won’t be able to keep Sanford around too much longer, but in the long run his departure could spell positive results. Proving he can translate his success as an assistant coach to the next coaching level will be a necessary step before making the leap to a major college program. And perhaps, should Sanford succeed and when he’s finally ready, the one-time South Bend resident may find his way back home.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has authored several nationally-featured articles, including an appearance on MSNBC as a sports contributor. He talks football 24 hours a day, much to the chagrin of his wife and those around him. Scott can be reached at scottjanssenhp@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter.
A great … to be sure.
Interesting read on Sanford, Scott. I expected success with him, and he has delivered.
I also agree with spiceyirish, especially that Sanford’s days at ND are numbered.
Such is the consequence of great hires doing great things as assistants. They get their shot as a HC.
But from what I’ve read, Jurkovec will be Sanford’s QB, wherever that may be.
It’ll be ND, unless Sanford is elsewhere soon.
Great article on Sanford. There can’t be enough praise for the job he did with Kizer last season. Kizer turned out big play after big play. Now some believe he is one of the best players in college football. Yet Kizer has to fight to keep his job. That is the glories of competition.
I do agree with the article that Sanford’s time at ND is short-term. I think the end of this season or the next season will see Sanford take a head coaching gig. I think he will do a great job wherever he goes. Like the article says, maybe down the road he returns to the place that gave him the big break. Also, under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame is starting to become a pipe-line for assistant coaches to move up to a head coaching job. When Sanford leaves, Kelly should have no problem hiring another big name assistant coach to do the job, because assistants are seeing Notre Dame as a great opportunity.