Reade Sands steps down as varsity football coach

Reade Sands, head coach of Sayville varsity football who led the team to eight uninterrupted playoff appearances in his eight years at the helm from 2017-2024, has decided to step down as the head coach to spend more time with his family.

Sands is a longtime physical education teacher at Sayville High School and has been a member of the Sayville football coaching staff for 20 years.

In his eight seasons, Sands led the Golden Flashes to six undefeated regular seasons, going to the Suffolk title game in six consecutive seasons from 2019-2024 and reaching the Long Island Championship game three times. Coach Sands earned four Class III Suffolk County championships (2019, 2020, 2022, 2024) and won the Class III Long Island championship in 2022, reaching the pinnacle on two occasions, going undefeated 12-0 in 2022 and undefeated (6-0) in the 2020-21 truncated pandemic season.

Sands led his varsity squad to three Rutgers Trophies, esteemed as the best football team in Suffolk County in 2021, 2022, and 2024. And he led the Sayville girls flag football team to the Long Island Championship in the second year of the program last spring, reaching the New York State Championship game. 

“I am really thankful to all the people that gave me the opportunity to do what I love. Special thank you to Sayville retired athletic director Dennis Maloney, who was able to hire me as the head coach, even though he had pressure to go in a different direction. I also have to thank Coach Hoss for allowing me to come on and volunteer in 2004 and then offering me the defensive coordinator position in 2006. That doesn’t happen very often. I am excited to have free time to spend with my family,” Sands said.