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| Photo by Dave Hilbert, d3photography.com |
Tyler Sanborn has stepped down as head men's basketball coach at Ferrum after five years at the helm of the Panther program. Sanborn has taken a position outside of coaching in the private sector.
Sanborn joined the Ferrum athletics staff in July 2017. Prior to that, He spent five years as the assistant men's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at fellow Old Dominion Athletic Conference member Hampden-Sydney.
"I would like to thank Ferrum College for the opportunity to be a part of this community for the past five years," said Sanborn. "I have genuinely enjoyed my time here and I am very thankful for the countless relationships that I have been fortunate enough to cultivate. I am extremely grateful to the young men and their families that have come through our program, and appreciate their trust to help lead them both on and off the court. Stepping away from coaching was a very tough decision; but when arriving at Ferrum, my goal was to leave our program better than I found it. I am confident that we accomplished that. A special thank you to John Sutyak, Gary Holden, and Gail Holley for their consistent leadership and support."
Ferrum advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 ODAC Tournament under Sanborn, falling in overtime to Lynchburg. Sanborn's 2019-20 team closed out the season with a 15-12 overall record, including a 9-7 mark in league play. Ferrum was 6-19 this past season, 1-15 in the ODAC. The Panthers compiled a record of 39-76 in Sanborn's five seasons.
Sanborn's work at Ferrum includes the success his players found in the classroom. The Panthers had 14 selections to the ODAC All-Academic Team, along with three All-ODAC selections on the court. Ferrum also had one ODAC Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award recipient and one CoSIDA Academic All-American under Sanborn.
"Tyler has been a true team player and someone I have valued as a coach since my arrival at Ferrum two and a half years ago," stated athletic director John Sutyak. "He worked tirelessly to put us in a position to compete at a high level as we transitioned from the USA South to the ODAC in 2018 and in doing so, we were able to secure some huge wins along the way. His presence will be missed in the department, and on campus, but I know he will be successful off the court as he transitions to his new career outside of collegiate basketball."
A national search to fill the Ferrum head men's basketball coach position has begun.