Jacobs coach Sanders resigns

Jacobs baseball coach Eric Sanders submitted his letter of resignation to athletic director Tom Ross Thursday.

A former catcher at the University of Michigan, Sanders led the Golden Eagles to a record of 48-52-1 in three seasons, including a winning mark of 19-16-1 this spring.

Jacobs' season ended last Friday after the team gave up 9 runs in the bottom of the seventh against Crystal Lake South to lose a regional semifinal, 11-10.

"I have examined where I am in my life and decided that I need to move on to the next chapter," Sanders said in the resignation letter, which was sent to media outlets. "There are other opportunities and challenges that lie ahead that I intend to pursue. I feel that I accomplished many of the objectives we set forth at Jacobs and am leaving with the baseball program in healthy shape for the next coach to step in."

"We support his decision and thank him for the job that he did in his three years at Jacobs," Ross said.

Sanders said he would like to coach again.

"I'm looking into some other things," he told the Daily Herald Thursday. "If opportunities present themselves, I'd certainly like to coach. If I can be in a position to help young men, that's certainly an ambition I've had throughout my career and something I feel I do very well.

"I don't look at it as a job. I never did. I saw it as taking on a mentoring role. We've graduated 30 kids from the program who were with us through thick and thin all the way through. I expect to continue long-standing relationships with 25-plus of them. I've gotten very close with the six seniors-to-be. Ultimately, those are the rewards that I look for as a coach."

Ross said the position of head baseball coach at Jacobs won't be posted until after the summer baseball season concludes.

"That will give us time for any additional teacher hires, if any happen, during the summertime," Ross said.