Steven Sanchez

Steven Sanchez

Steven Sanchez joined the USC Upstate track and field program in the fall of 2020 as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He made his way to Spartanburg from ETSU where he served as the throws coach since Sept. 2016.

In Sanchez’s tenure as the throws coach at ETSU, the Buccaneers won conference championships in the men’s shot put, men’s discus, men’s hammer, men’s weight throw, men’s and women’s javelin and men’s heptathlon, while also having runner up performances in the women’s shot put and women’s weight throw.

Additionally, the men’s shot put, men’s javelin, men’s discus, men’s and women’s weight throw and men’s hammer throw records at ETSU were all broken by student-athletes under Sanchez’s watch. The New York native coached NCAA East Preliminaries qualifiers in the women’s javelin, men’s javelin, men’s discus and men’s hammer. Sanchez also coached ETSU’s Ben Johnson during his run as a 2018 Second Team Division I Indoor Track & Field All-American in the men’s weight throw placing 13th. Johnson also broke one indoor and four outdoor school records while also setting new Southern Conference records in the men’s weight throw & discus under Sanchez.

Prior to ETSU, Sanchez joined the Division III Plattsburg State University coaching staff and coached an ECAC Division III qualifier in the women’s shot put and discus in his only season.

Sanchez also worked on the Division II level at King University as a graduate assistant with responsibilities for the throws, combined events and strength & conditioning in May 2015. During the season, he coached an athlete to a first-place finish in women’s indoor shot put and a runner-up finish in the weight throw at the Conference Carolinas Indoor Track & Field Championship.

Collegiately, Sanchez competed for Limestone College from 2012-15 and for ASA College (NY) from 2011-12. While at Limestone, he helped the Saints win the 2013 Conference Carolinas Outdoor championship.

He was named all-conference three times in the shot put and earned third team honors during the indoor season in 2014 and 2015. During his senior year, Sanchez was the Conference Carolinas Outdoor champion in the shot put and was the Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's track and field.

Sanchez is certified as a Level 2 Strength & Conditioning specialist through the ISSA. He is also certified as a Track & Field Technical Training and Throwing Events Specialist through the USTFCCCA, and as a USATF Level 1 and USATF Level 2 for Throws & Combined Events.

Sanchez resides in Boiling Springs, S.C. with his tuxedo cat, Tornado.

Career Coaching Statistics

  • 7 NCAA Regional Qualifying Performances
  • 12 Conference Championship Performances
  • 8 Conference Runner-Up Performances
  • 22 All-Conference Performances
  • 15 All-Conference Freshman Performances
  • 2 Southern Conference Record Performances  (Men’s Weight Throw & Men’s Discus)
  • 3 Conference Athlete of the Year Performances
  • 1 All-American Performance (13th place)