College of DuPage Athletics

Long-time Chicagoland lacrosse prep coach Bill Sanford begins his third year as the Chaps head men's lacrosse coach in 2025-2026. In his two years at the helm of the brand new athletic program, Sanford has guided the Chaps to back to back appearances in the NJCAA North Atlantic District Championship game and has amassed an overall record of 8-10 in those two seasons. 

Sanford previously spent 12 seasons leading Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights from a fledgling program into a perennial playoff challenger and among the top five in Illinois. He left Saint Viator with a .790 career winning percentage, ranking third all-time in Illinois prep lacrosse victories.

His teams won nine conference titles, and made seven IHSLA quarterfinal appearances, eight Elite 8s and five Final Four appearances. He was named IHSLA Coach of the Year in 2011 and earned six conference coach of the year honors.

More than 20 of his players advanced their athletic careers into NCAA Division I, III, III programs including seven that eventually captained their college teams.

Sanford played his prep lacrosse at Immaculata HS in Somerville, N.J., where he served as founding captain. Upon his graduation, he immediately began coaching at his alma mater while attending Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J. After two years of studies at RVCC, he transferred to Dayton where he played attack and midfield for the school's MCLA team.
 
He earned his bachelor's degree in English from Dayton in 2002 and sought an opportunity to serve in a non-profit organization which led him to the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded his M.Ed. from Notre Dame in 2004. 

During his two-year master's program, he taught middle school religion and social studies in Atlanta, Ga., where he was an assistant coach at St. Pius X, helping to establish a new program under head coach Scott Carter.

Sanford resides in Glen Ellyn with his wife, Dr. Gretchen Sanford, and their three children: Clare (12), Maeve (9) and Finnegan (5).