WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University Athletics Department mourns the passing of legendary wrestler Roger Sanders '64, who passed away on Wednesday afternoon at the Sunset Ridge Nursing Center in Scott Township, Pennsylvania. Sanders was 82.
A native of Fairless Hills, Sanders is a 1964 graduate of West Chester University. He also earned a Master of Arts degree from Ball State University.
Sanders passed away Wednesday afternoon, December 18, 2024, at the Sunset Ridge Nursing Center in Scott Township. Arrangements are being finalized for a Monday, December 23, 2024, service at St. Columba Church by Dean W. Kriner, Inc. Funeral Home, Bloomsburg.
One of the greatest wrestlers in West Chester University history, Roger Sanders' career in coaching and competition spanned four decades, numerous accolades and hundreds of victories. As a competitor for the Golden Rams during the 1960's, Sanders claimed the College Division National Championship in 1964 while serving as team captain. He was a three-time Middle Atlantic Conference 157-pound Champion (1962-64) and was unbeaten in all dual meets from 1960-64.
His coaching career may have been even more impressive as he compiled 300 wins, predominantly at Bloomsburg University. Sanders' team produced a fifth-place finish at the Division I Tournament (1987), eight PSAC Championships, and two Eastern Wrestling League titles. Individually, Sanders' wrestlers have claimed 47 PSAC titles, 27 EWL crowns, six Division II All-American honors, and nine NCAA Division I All-American accolades.
A professor at Bloomsburg University, Sanders was the president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association from 1987-93.
Coach Sanders has been awarded the Lifetime of Service Award by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and is a member of the West Chester University and Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fames. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame in 2004. He was inducted into the Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, he was selected as a West Chester University Distinguished Alumnus.
Sanders is survived by his wife, Nancy, and their two daughters, Julie and Traci, and five grandchildren.
