The University of Colorado Sports Information Department has just sent out a release naming Danny Sanchez as the next head coach for Buffaloes soccer. Sanchez coached the Metro State Roadrunners to two NCAA Division II National Championships.
Sanchez, 42, just completed his fourth season at the University of Wyoming, where he coached the Cowgirls into the Mountain West Conference's championship game. In a coaching career that has spanned 17 years, his teams at Wyoming, Metro State and Mesa Community College, where he coached both the men's and women's programs, his teams have compiled an impressive 267-60-23 record.
"Coach Sanchez possesses an exceptional level of integrity along with a dynamic passion for soccer that will resonate well with our student-athletes on many levels," Bohn said. "His coaching style, strong leadership characteristics, and regional and national coaching accomplishments are a perfect fit for our university in providing a solid foundation for long term success."
"I am honored and most appreciative of Mike Bohn, Ceal Barry, Julie Manning and the rest of the search committee," Sanchez said. "My family and I are excited to join the Colorado Buffaloes family. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me professionally, and myself and my staff will do everything we can to make the Buff Nation proud of the soccer program."
"My time at the University of Wyoming was special," Sanchez said. "The people, the University of Wyoming and really the entire state treated me and my family better than I ever could have expected. We had some very good success and I believe the program will continue to move forward and be successful in the future."
Wyoming posted its best record in school history this past fall, 12-6-4, including a 3-1-2 mark in conference play for a third-place regular season finish, outscoring its opponents 30-19 along the way. After an 0-3 start, Wyoming allowed just 12 goals in its final 19 games, with one of the wins a 1-0 verdict over Colorado in Boulder on August 28. In the Mountain West Conference tournament, the Cowgirls defeated Boise State and TCU before losing 1-0 to New Mexico in the championship game.
Sanchez replaces Bill Hempen, who was just the second head coach in CU's program history but stepped down from the position on November 16. In 11 seasons, his teams posted a 114-88-28 overall record and earned all six of the team's NCAA tournament appearances. Austin Daniels piloted the program its first five years of existence, with his teams posting a 36-53-5 mark.
Colorado was 4-13-2 this season, its inaugural campaign in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing with a 1-9-1 mark in league games and tying Arizona for 11th place. CU's lone conference win was impressive, a 1-0 verdict over No. 15 California in Berkeley; however, that was the only win in the season's final nine games. There were five seniors on the team, which returns 15 letterwinners for the 2012 squad.