Football
- Title:
- Safeties
- Season at Pitt:
- Seventh
Cory Sanders enters his eighth season working with Pitt’s secondary and having positional oversight of the safeties. His role with the program expanded prior to the 2024 campaign as Pat Narduzzi promoted him to assistant head coach in June.
“From the day we hired Cory back in 2018, he has been an outstanding resource for our entire program,” Narduzzi said. “This promotion reflects the deep impact he already makes on our players, coaches and staff. Cory is an excellent teacher and mentor who makes everyone around him better. He sees the larger picture in everything we do. Everyone in our building will benefit from his expanded role with our program.”
Under Sanders’ direction, the safeties have been an annual strength for Pitt’s defense. Despite having to replace both starters for the 2023 season, he developed a highly productive duo in Donovan McMillon and Javon McIntyre.
In 2024, McMillon was named All-ACC (second team) after leading the Panthers in tackles for the second consecutive season, compiling 115 stops. He became the first Pitt player to record consecutive 100-tackle seasons since linebacker Scott McKillop (2007-08). McMillon went on to play in the Hula Bowl all-star game, as well as the East-West Shrine Bowl. McIntyre became only the second Pitt DB the last 20 years to have two seasons of at least 50 tackles and 3.5 TFL (2023-24), along with Jason Hendricks (2012-13).
McIntyre is back in 2025, the returning vet with the most Pitt experience on the defensive side of the ball (42 games).
During his tenure, Sanders has built an impressive Pitt safety pipeline to the pros that includes McMillon (Cleveland Browns), Erick Hallett II (Detroit Lions), Brandon Hill (Houston Texans) and Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills).
Prior to Pitt, Sanders was the defensive backs coach at Western Michigan (2017), where he developed a pair of NFL Draft selections in cornerbacks Darius Phillips and Sam Beal.
Sanders was part of shaping an NCAA Division II program from the ground up at the University of West Florida, which played its inaugural season in 2016. As the Argonauts' defensive coordinator, he directed a unit that ranked 11th nationally in quarterback sacks (3.6 sacks per game) and 26th in tackles for loss (8.2 TFLs per game). West Florida finished 5-6 that season, the most victories for a first-year Division II program in a decade.
Prior to West Florida, Sanders spent five seasons (2010-14) on the football staff at Division II Saint Joseph's (Ind.) College, his alma mater. The team's defensive coordinator his initial year, Sanders was promoted to head coach for the 2011 season and rebuilt the Pumas into a contender in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
The team achieved runner-up finishes in the GLVC in each of his final two seasons, while featuring a nationally ranked defense. The Pumas also set a school record for single-season total offense (4,594 yards) during his tenure and produced 36 All-GLVC performers.
Sanders initial coaching appointments came at North Central College (2007) and Elmhurst College (2008-09). He coached the defensive backs at both Illinois institutions.
Sanders himself was an outstanding collegiate defensive back. He was a four-time all-conference honoree at Saint Joseph's and elected a Pumas team captain three times. Sanders was an instrumental performer for two conference championship teams and finished his career fifth in school history with 30.5 TFLs.
Sanders is a 2007 graduate of Saint Joseph's with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Alma Mater: Saint Joseph's, 2007
COLLEGE COACHING EXPERIENCE
Pitt, 2018-present, secondary/safeties; 2024, assistant head coach.
Western Michigan, 2017, defensive backs.
West Florida, 2015-16, defensive coordinator and defensive backs.
Saint Joseph's (Ind.), 2010, defensive coordinator; 2011-14, head coach.
Elmhurst, 2008-09, defensive backs.
North Central, 2007, defensive backs.
