Kill steps down, Sanchez named HC at NMSU

Two years into an unlikely resuscitation of New Mexico State’s football program, coach Jerry Kill is stepping down, sources told ESPN.

Kill’s decision came in recent days, and the school has already found an internal replacement in wide receivers coach Tony Sanchez, sources told ESPN. Sanchez is the former head coach at UNLV.

Kill led New Mexico State to one of the sport’s most distinct turnarounds in the last decade, as they went 17-11 in his two years as head coach. That included back-to-back bowl appearances and a 10-5 season in 2023, the school’s first double-digit win season since 1960.

The New Mexico State team was set to learn the news on Saturday afternoon in a team meeting, per sources.

Kill is a veteran head coach with stops at Minnesota, Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois, among others. He also worked as an administrator and has been an assistant at Rutgers, Virginia Tech and TCU.

Sanchez is a former successful head high school coach in the Las Vegas area who served as UNLV’s head coach for five years from 2015 to 2019. Sanchez went 20-40 in that time, with his tenure remembered best for key off-field strides in facilities and support to help modernize the program.

New Mexico State had lost both offensive coordinator Tim Beck and defensive backs coach Cliff Odom since losing to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 16. The move to Sanchez could help keep continuity and momentum in both the staff and the program.