NLL Legend Sanderson Shining as Roughnecks Coach

A genuine rarity in the world of sports: a hall of fame caliber player moves behind the bench and becomes a head coach. While scores of athletes have turned successful playing careers into professional head coaching gigs, the superstar morphing into the boss is a circumstance that is significantly less frequent. Rare current examples of this situation include NBA coaches Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups, NHL sideline commanders Patrick Roy and Martin St. Louis, along with NLL head honchos John Tavares, Pat Coyle and Shawn Williams.

Prior to last season, the NLL added a brand-new name to this highly exclusive club when the Calgary Roughnecks hired Josh Sanderson to be their head coach/assistant general manager. The 19-season NLL great stepped into the role in the wake of the unquestionably accomplished Curt Malawsky assuming the leadership post with his hometown Vancouver Warriors.

Sanderson and Malawsky square off as part of NLL Friday Night on TSN, when the Roughnecks head west to battle the Warriors.

Sanderson, who presently ranks third all-time in assists (908), sixth in total points (1,357) and tenth in games played (268) offers a unique perspective regarding the psychological similarities and differences at play when adorning a jersey and helmet, as opposed to a suit and tie.

“There’s nothing better than playing, that’s for sure. It’s the best! But, coaching and being on the bench is second best,” shares the 47-year-old NLL stalwart. “You still get the competitiveness going, but when you played, you could do something about it. In coaching there is a lot of preparation and communication, so you just try to help the guys focus out on the floor as much as possible to do their job. It’s definitely different. I love the competitiveness in both roles, but there’s nothing better than playing.”

The Orangeville, Ontario native further elaborated on what he believes is a must-have characteristic, no matter what side of the boards one may reside on.

“I think my competitive nature hopefully helps. I know it helped me as a player, and I’m hoping it’s helping as a coach. I love the game, so as a player or coach I try to put the same amount of effort into my work,” notes Sanderson.

The two-time NLL champion player (2005 Rock, 2009 Roughnecks) remains enamored with the collaborative nature of lacrosse. Whether he is lacing up a sneaker or sliding into a loafer, Sanderson wholeheartedly endorses the comprehensive team effort needed to realize success at the NLL level. The former high-scoring forward has found this dynamic to be 100% transferrable, whichever side of the business he is currently a part of.

“As a player you want your teammates to succeed and I felt it was important to lend my help to them to help the team win the game. It’s no different in coaching. You want your players to feel that winning success. There is a satisfaction in seeing them putting in the work to get results. I love competing to win. Coaching is a little bit different. You still have a bunch of teammates, in your coaching staff and players, and even though you’re the coach, you want everybody to do well, which is no different from when I played,” opines Sanderson.

The Roughnecks organization and the city of Calgary hold a special place in Sanderson’s heart, as he spent three of his 19 seasons in Alberta’s largest city. The undisputed highlight of his time in the city occurred in 2009, when the now coach was part of the franchise’s then second-ever NLL championship. While winning a title is obviously the overarching goal of every coach at every level of sports, Sanderson acknowledges how special it would be to hoist the trophy on behalf of a team and fan-base that has provided him with so much love and support through the years.

“Winning here would be very satisfying,” envisioned Sanderson. “The goal here in Calgary is to do the same thing as when I played and to do so with a great group of guys. We have a good team that is continuing to grow as the year goes on. And obviously, that’s our goal.”

Sanderson later elaborated on the now decades-long admiration he feels towards the loyal cadre of Alberta residents who shell out their hard-earned money to pack WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome on a regular basis.

“We don’t take the fan support lightly in Calgary. For our players and organization, it’s a big boost. The Calgary fans are very knowledgeable, so it’s important we play well at home and use their energy, because that’s what they bring to the table. It’s one of the better and supportive fan bases in the league, and we definitely appreciate them,” beamed the Roughnecks player turned head coach.

Josh Sanderson spoke following the OT win! pic.twitter.com/KueocKiS6c

— Calgary Roughnecks (@NLLRoughnecks) January 19, 2025

Calgary enters Friday’s matchup with Vancouver owners of a 4-3 record, with three of their next four games taking place under the horse saddle shaped roof of their iconic home venue. Coming off an 8-10 first campaign behind the bench, Sanderson likes the direction his squad is heading, while acknowledging an impending opportunity to make progress in a needed space of improvement.

“This year we’re in a lot better spot than last year,” evaluates Sanderson. “4-3 heading into a big game with Vancouver. Number one, we have been a lot better on the road this season. We haven’t started quite as good at home, but we have a bunch of home games coming up after this, so we can get better in that area. Playing better on the road has been big. We have produced more offense than we did last year, so that’s really helped, even though we can still take steps in that area. We have a lot of room to grow, but we’re happy with how we’re progressing.”

Don’t miss NLL Friday Night on TSN Roughnecks At Warriors, February 7 at 10:00pm ET.

Catch the Special Valentine’s Day NLL Friday Night on TSN doubleheader featuring Buffalo-Toronto & Saskatchewan-Calgary. Faceoff begins at 7pm ET.