Grant Sanders Building All-Star Football Coaching Staff At Arizona High School

The coaching staff for one Arizona high school football team is coming together under a new leader.

Grant Sanders was hired as the head football coach at North High School earlier this year, taking over a program that finished the 2025 season with three wins in the final five weeks.

For Sanders, this is about giving the Mustang players the best opportunity possible to succeed both on the field and off of it.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Sanders told High School on SI. “I can’t wait to bring the best of the best to these players. I did the same when I was coaching at Arcadia, and now doing it again here at North.”

In addition to hiring former NFL player Ryan Torain to work with the running backs, Sanders has brought in Robert Nelson, Shaquille Riddick, Ayodele Adeoye, Joe Wilkins and Rashid Smith to help him.

Robert Nelson, Shaquille Riddick With Major NFL Experience

Nelson played eight years in the NFL after finding a home as an undrafted free agent. A first team all-Pac-12 selection as a senior at Arizona State, Nelson finished his NFL career with 24 tackles, an interception and two passes defended in 20 games with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and New York Jets.

Sanders has brought Nelson on the staff as his assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

Riddick, who will work with the defensive line, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2014 while competing for West Virginia and was an FCS All-American while playing for Gardner-Webb.

Former Texas, Notre Dame College Football Players Part Of Coaching Staff

Adeoye played for the Texas Longhorns for four years at linebacker, making 10 starts while also landing on the honor roll for the Big 12 Conference. He was an All-American and all-state selection in high school at IMG Academy.

Wilkins was a wide receiver and special teams player at Notre Dame after helping lead North Fort Myers to an undefeated regular season in Florida high school football while playing for Earnest Graham. He competed in the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl vs. Alabama in 2020, recording 11 catches with the Fighting Irish.

Smith was a former player for Sanders at Arcadia and will work with the defensive backs. He played at both the NAIA and junior college levels.