Tony Sanchez introduced as New Mexico State's head football coach after 2 seasons as receivers coach

Updated Jan. 4, 2024 12:48 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State didn’t need to look far when searching for a new head football coach.

Eleven days after Jerry Kill stepped down after two seasons with the Aggies, Tony Sanchez was officially introduced Wednesday as the program’s 36th head coach.

Sanchez, 49, was a wide receiver for New Mexico State from 1994-95 and coached that position the past two years.

The Aggies had a 7-6 record in 2022, winning the Quick Lane Bowl, then went 10-5 last season and played for the Conference USA championship.

It marked the school’s first back-to-back bowl games since 1959-60.

“Now there’s a new standard here,” Sanchez told reporters Wednesday. “We don’t want to win anymore, we expect to win. That’s going to be our attitude moving forward. We’ve got a great coaching staff, a great core group of players and I know we’ll continue to move this thing forward.”

Sanchez was UNLV’s head coach from 2015-19 and had a 20-40 record.

New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia said Sanchez is expected to sign a five-year contract.

“We had a lot of really good coaches that I thought might have the ability to take over,” Moccia said Wednesday. “In my opinion, Tony was the most ready. And that’s why we made this selection.”

Moccia added that two other major projects are upcoming for the football program — a new video board and new locker rooms.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football