Nicholas Sanders enters his eighth season on staff at Elizabeth City State University, once again entrusted with leading the running backs. In 2024, Sanders coached the wide receivers and guided Terrance Holland to a CIAA All-Rookie selection after Holland led the Vikings in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, finishing with nearly 900 all-purpose yards and five scores.
In 2023, Sanders served as Pass Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach, where his group produced 13 touchdowns and featured two of the CIAA’s top 15 receivers, including the league's second-best. His leadership also helped the offense finish fourth in the conference in rushing, with Quinzel Lockhart earning an HBCU Legacy Bowl selection.
Sanders served as Run Game Coordinator in 2022, overseeing a young running back group that totaled over 800 rushing yards and produced a true freshman standout in league play. In 2021, he coached the secondary, leading a defense that ranked first in the CIAA in interceptions and second in turnovers gained. That season, he also guided the special teams unit to first in blocked punts, eighth nationally in Division II kickoff coverage, and top-10 national rankings in both punt and kickoff return performance, mentoring All-Conference specialists Zion Riddick and Josiah Hayes.
Earlier in his ECSU tenure, Sanders coached running backs and coordinated special teams, developing a young stable of backs who combined for more than 2,200 yards and 20 touchdowns across three seasons. His special teams units ranked first in the CIAA and all of Division II in kickoff return yards, highlighted by First-Team All-CIAA returner Zion Riddick.
Before ECSU, Sanders launched his coaching career at Southern Arkansas University as a graduate assistant with the running backs from 2015–16. There, he coached All-Conference back Michael Nunnery, who became the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher in more than six years. Sanders helped SAU post consecutive winning seasons and make back-to-back appearances in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Sanders was a four-year letterman at Alcorn State, playing defensive back and wide receiver. He contributed on special teams and was part of the 2014 Braves squad that captured the program’s first SWAC Championship in 20 years and the Black College National Championship. Sanders earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Alcorn in 2014 before completing his master’s degree in Kinesiology at Southern Arkansas in 2017.
Affectionately known as “Coach Red,” Sanders is the proud father of his son, Houston Scott Sanders.
