COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs Executive Director of Athletics Nathan Gibson announced on Monday morning the hiring of Dwight Sanders as the seventh head coach of the Mountain Lion softball program.
 
"I am thrilled to announce Dwight Sanders as the next head coach for the UCCS Softball program," exclaimed Gibson. "Dwight was a highly recommended candidate for this position and quickly showed that he was the right fit for our program. Dwight is a culture builder, leads with positivity, has a great work ethic, is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the game of softball, and knows how to win at this level. I am very excited for the future of Mountain Lion Softball!"
 
A native of nearby Fountain, Colo., Sanders joins the Mountain Lion family after spending the last two seasons as the head softball coach at Fort Lewis College. During his two-year stint at FLC, Sanders steered the Skyhawks to a 43-57 overall record and a 41-41 record in RMAC action, leading the program to an appearance in the RMAC Tournament following the 2022 regular season. With Sanders at the helm, the Skyhawks softball program totaled ten All-RMAC selections, eight RMAC All-Academic honors, and three CSC Academic All-District awards.
 
"I am honored to be chosen as the next head softball coach at UCCS," stated Sanders. "Immediately when arriving on campus it felt like home, and I knew if offered, this is where I wanted to be. I have enjoyed my experience these past few years, but the opportunity to help grow this softball program was too good to pass up. The vision the university has for all of its athletic programs, and especially the softball team, is impressive and I am excited to see what we can do for years to come. I would like to thank the admin team for believing in me, and I am excited to get to work with the softball team and all of the athletic department to build this program into a championship caliber team." 
 
In addition to his success on the diamond at Fort Lewis, Sanders worked diligently to develop strong community engagement and support in the Durango, Colo., area for the Skyhawk softball team. In two years, he managed to fundraise $65,000 for the program, facilitated the installation of a new fence and batting cage for the institution's softball facility, and secured multi-year partnerships with both Mizuno and Oakley.
 
Prior to being hired as the head softball coach at FLC in July of 2021, Sanders served as the head coach of the softball program at Otero Junior College for five years, leading the Rattlers to five winning seasons, four postseason berths, and an impressive overall record of 117-85. While at Otero, Sanders coached his student-athletes to nine NJCAA Region 9 All-Region honors and six NJCAA All-America accolades while helping 26 athletes move on to play at NCAA four-year institutions. Sanders led the Rattlers into the NJCAA national rankings in two separate seasons, surging as high as No. 14 during the 2018-19 season. In his final season with the Rattlers in 2020-21, Sanders had his team firing on all cylinders on the field and in the classroom, finishing the season ranked inside the top-25 in the nation for multiple team statistical categories, including batting average (.423 – 3^rd), on base percentage (.491 – 6^th), slugging percentage (.687 – 10^th), doubles (108 – 10^th), triples (24 – 6^th), extra-base hits (176 – 24^th), and stolen bases (171 – 7^th), while also ranking top-five in the nation with a 3.71 team GPA.
 
Before beginning his coaching career, Sanders played prep baseball locally at Fountain Fort Carson High School from 2008-11 before moving on to play collegiately at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C. After one season with the Panthers, the Colorado native returned home to finish his collegiate baseball career at Colorado State University Pueblo, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in May of 2016 and his Master of Business Administration in May of 2021.  
 
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