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Xavier University Athletics
‘You’re going home’: Brianna Sanders’ basketball road brought her to Xavier, and back home
08.07.23 | Women's Basketball, Featured
CINCINNATI - Last year, Brianna Sanders had just finished her fourth season as an Assistant Coach at the University of Akron when Billi Chambers called and offered her a job at Iona University.
"I was in New York for eight months and then she said, 'Let's go, you're going home,'" said Sanders, who barely had time to unpack and get situated in her New York apartment before starting the process all over again.
Sanders was born and raised in Cincinnati. She grew up here — a star basketball player at Princeton High School, where she graduated in 2009.
Chambers had just been named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Xavier.
Sanders was excited that her basketball journey was bringing her back to where it all started.
However, Sanders' excitement paled in comparison to someone else's.
"I'd be doing an injustice to my grandfather (Donald Darby) if I didn't mention that he played basketball at Xavier. He's the happiest person in the world right now," Sanders laughed.
Being a college basketball coach comes with a bit of uncertainty. It's a year round job filled with long days and nights, stretches of living out of a suitcase, and it can all change in an instant. Sanders didn't know where the game would take her, but she's always been willing to follow it.
"I haven't been back home since I was 18 years old, so it was just a shock for me," she said. "Am I really about to go back home? It was a good shock. Being back with my family, it's amazing. I haven't been able to have Thanksgiving or Christmas at home since I was 18. I'm not four hours away or eight hours away now. I can go to family functions. I can go to my grandparents' house for Sunday dinners."
Life has a way of working out, even if there are moments when it seems like it might not happen.
Coming out of high school, Sanders enrolled at Ohio State University to continue her playing career.
But life had other plans.
During Sanders' redshirt freshman year with the Buckeyes, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament for the third time in the same knee.
Doctors told her, "You can keep trying to play if you want to, but if it happens again you probably won't be able to walk when you get older, you could need a knee replacement, or end up in a wheelchair," Sanders said.
"It was one of those decisions where I wanted to keep playing, but my head coach (Jim Foster) and the doctor had to sit me down and tell me it wasn't a good idea."
When the playing door slammed shut in Sanders' face, another door creaked open, and she walked right through it on her surgically repaired knee.
Foster knew Sanders wanted to get into coaching, so when the injury happened, he transitioned Sanders into a new role — Assistant Student Coach.
Sanders' start in coaching is eerily similar to Chambers, who suffered her own career ending injury while playing at Hofstra and started coaching while still in college.
"I didn't realize the similarities between me and coach Chambers as far as the injuries and how we got into coaching," said Sanders, who admitted that it's rather fitting that they found each other.
During her last year at Ohio State, Sanders got an assistant coaching job at Reynoldsburg, a local high school near Columbus. She coached there for one year and after she graduated from college, Foster was now the Head Coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and he needed a Director of Basketball Operations.
"He called me and I followed him to UTC and that's how I got my start in college coaching," said Sanders.
Initially, when Sanders' playing career ended, her emotions were predictable and understandable. She was sad. She thought, "Why me?" She wanted to finish what she started.
As she's gotten older and farther away from what happened, her perspective has changed.
"Looking back and seeing my journey and the amazing people I've met and been able to work for and learn from, I feel like it was all just part of the plan," Sanders said. "You can't ever question things like that. Of course, it's hard. You always think about what might have been, especially when you were a great player coming out of high school, but I just feel like everything happens for a reason."
Joining Xavier has been a slight adjustment. Both of Sanders' parents went to the University of Cincinnati. She's settled into Xavier nicely, though, already admiring the people and the place.
"I grew up a UC kid," said Sanders. "I never really ventured over to the Xavier side. But seeing the campus and the resources here, and the people, it's been amazing."
Sanders is looking forward to settling back into her hometown and helping the Musketeers get back where they feel like they belong.
"I was in New York for eight months and then she said, 'Let's go, you're going home,'" said Sanders, who barely had time to unpack and get situated in her New York apartment before starting the process all over again.
Sanders was born and raised in Cincinnati. She grew up here — a star basketball player at Princeton High School, where she graduated in 2009.
Chambers had just been named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Xavier.
Sanders was excited that her basketball journey was bringing her back to where it all started.
However, Sanders' excitement paled in comparison to someone else's.
"I'd be doing an injustice to my grandfather (Donald Darby) if I didn't mention that he played basketball at Xavier. He's the happiest person in the world right now," Sanders laughed.
Being a college basketball coach comes with a bit of uncertainty. It's a year round job filled with long days and nights, stretches of living out of a suitcase, and it can all change in an instant. Sanders didn't know where the game would take her, but she's always been willing to follow it.
"I haven't been back home since I was 18 years old, so it was just a shock for me," she said. "Am I really about to go back home? It was a good shock. Being back with my family, it's amazing. I haven't been able to have Thanksgiving or Christmas at home since I was 18. I'm not four hours away or eight hours away now. I can go to family functions. I can go to my grandparents' house for Sunday dinners."
Life has a way of working out, even if there are moments when it seems like it might not happen.
Coming out of high school, Sanders enrolled at Ohio State University to continue her playing career.
But life had other plans.
During Sanders' redshirt freshman year with the Buckeyes, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament for the third time in the same knee.
Doctors told her, "You can keep trying to play if you want to, but if it happens again you probably won't be able to walk when you get older, you could need a knee replacement, or end up in a wheelchair," Sanders said.
"It was one of those decisions where I wanted to keep playing, but my head coach (Jim Foster) and the doctor had to sit me down and tell me it wasn't a good idea."
When the playing door slammed shut in Sanders' face, another door creaked open, and she walked right through it on her surgically repaired knee.
Foster knew Sanders wanted to get into coaching, so when the injury happened, he transitioned Sanders into a new role — Assistant Student Coach.
Sanders' start in coaching is eerily similar to Chambers, who suffered her own career ending injury while playing at Hofstra and started coaching while still in college.
"I didn't realize the similarities between me and coach Chambers as far as the injuries and how we got into coaching," said Sanders, who admitted that it's rather fitting that they found each other.
During her last year at Ohio State, Sanders got an assistant coaching job at Reynoldsburg, a local high school near Columbus. She coached there for one year and after she graduated from college, Foster was now the Head Coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and he needed a Director of Basketball Operations.
"He called me and I followed him to UTC and that's how I got my start in college coaching," said Sanders.
Initially, when Sanders' playing career ended, her emotions were predictable and understandable. She was sad. She thought, "Why me?" She wanted to finish what she started.
As she's gotten older and farther away from what happened, her perspective has changed.
"Looking back and seeing my journey and the amazing people I've met and been able to work for and learn from, I feel like it was all just part of the plan," Sanders said. "You can't ever question things like that. Of course, it's hard. You always think about what might have been, especially when you were a great player coming out of high school, but I just feel like everything happens for a reason."
Joining Xavier has been a slight adjustment. Both of Sanders' parents went to the University of Cincinnati. She's settled into Xavier nicely, though, already admiring the people and the place.
"I grew up a UC kid," said Sanders. "I never really ventured over to the Xavier side. But seeing the campus and the resources here, and the people, it's been amazing."
Sanders is looking forward to settling back into her hometown and helping the Musketeers get back where they feel like they belong.
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