LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) – A new era of New Mexico State football is upon us. Tony Sanchez will be formally introduced as the 36th head coach in NMSU football program history on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. MT. This will be open to the public and is set take place in the Danny Villanueva Victory Club located on the third floor of the Fulton Athletic Center.
Sanchez was named the new NMSU football head coach the same day Jerry Kill stepped down as head coach after two winning seasons while at the helm of the program on Dec. 23, 2023.
New Mexico State will now rely on Sanchez to continue the program’s success. For the past two seasons, Sanchez has served as the wide receivers coach and played a pivotal role in helping the Aggies put forth one of the most explosive offenses at the FBS level.
The newly appointed Aggie leader will undertake the role of head coach of an FBS program for the second time in his coaching career after being at the helm of the UNLV program from 2015-19. In Las Vegas, Sanchez amassed 20 wins and 40 losses while also taking part in numerous fundraising efforts which led to the construction of the $34 million Fertitta Football Complex.
Under the tutelage of Sanchez, the Aggie wide receivers compiled over 4,000 receiving yards, including hauling in 31 of the Aggies’ 46 receiving touchdowns during the last two seasons. Following its appearance in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, the Aggie passing attack ranks 20th in the nation in passing yards per completion (13.64) and is tied for 17th in the country in passing touchdowns (28).
Prior to his stint as an assistant with the Aggies, Sanchez coached alongside Kill at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was an offensive analyst for the Horned Frogs where he helped them pick up a victory over No. 12 Baylor during the 2021 season.
Sanchez’s current stint in Las Cruces is the second of his coaching career after spending a total of four seasons on staff at Oñate High School (now Organ Mountain High School). The native of Fairfield, Calif., also spent one season at Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas, coaching its wide receivers in 2000.
KTSM 9 News will have full coverage of Sanchez’s introductory press conference on Wednesday.
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