March 03--SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Not quite 20 years ago, Mike Sanford was lugging footballs on Notre Dame's sideline. His father, also named Mike, was the quarterbacks coach, a position he held from 1996 to '98 under Lou Holtz and Bob Davie.
Sporting a blue-and-gold-striped tie and navy blazer, in a weight room not far from where he played football at Penn High School in Mishawaka, the former ball boy officially was introduced by coach Brian Kelly as the Irish's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Like father, like son.
"There was a comfort level with this area," said Sanford, who last year had the same job at Boise State, his alma mater. "Some of my fondest memories of my insane childhood that consisted of about 11 moves were here in the Michiana region."
Sanford hopes to make more memories with some other familiar faces who took their places as Irish assistants Monday. Two -- Autry Denson (running backs) and Todd Lyght (defensive backs) -- were All-Americans at Notre Dame, which also announced the hiring of Keith Gilmore as defensive line coach. Gilmore held the same job at Illinois from 2009 to '12.
Mike Denbrock, who was offensive coordinator last season, is now associate head coach/wide receivers coach, and Mike Elston moves from defensive line coach to recruiting coordinator/linebackers coach.
Who will call the plays on offense remains to be seen. Kelly did it last year, when Notre Dame averaged 32.8 points, but he said that's not a high priority.
"I've hired people to do all those jobs," Kelly said. "If it means I don't have to be involved in that, but that puts us in a better position, I'm 100 percent OK with that."
Lyght, a starting cornerback on Notre Dame's 1988 national championship team, was picked fifth overall by the Rams in 1991 and played 12 seasons in the NFL.
Denson, the school's all-time leading rusher (4,318 yards), played for three teams in four NFL seasons, including 16 games with the Bears in 2001.
"His background as a Notre Dame student-athlete gave him a chance at an interview, but I didn't think I was going to hire him," Kelly said. "He blew me away at the interview."
Sanford, whose primary job will be working with quarterbacks, did the same. He said he has met one-on-one with each quarterback and sees a lot of potential.
So does Kelly in his new offensive coordinator, whom he liked enough to veer off course in hiring someone with whom he had not previously worked.
"Well, you've got to recruit in this business," Kelly said. "I flew to Utah ... I guess the home visit went pretty good. Met Dad, met Mom, met the family."
Extra points: Notre Dame pushed back the start of spring practice to March 18 because of the recent hirings. ... Kelly also named Bob Elliott as special assistant to the head coach, Maurice Crum as a defensive graduate assistant, Donovan Raiola as an offensive graduate assistant and Ron Powlus as director of player development. ... Kelly said the Blue-Gold game will be April 18 at the LaBar Practice Complex. Construction won't allow the Irish to use Notre Dame Stadium.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
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