Former NFL MVP Brian Sipe was hired as quarterbacks coach Tuesday at his alma mater, San Diego State.
It's the first college coaching job for Sipe, who has spent the last eight seasons as the head coach at Santa Fe Christian High in nearby Solana Beach.
He'll work under Brady Hoke, who was hired away from Ball State in December to replace the fired Chuck Long. Sipe was on the search committee that recommended Hoke's hiring. The two had met about six years earlier when Hoke was on a recruiting trip.
"This is all new territory for me," Sipe said. "I think I'm going to have a pretty steep learning curve but I know enough about football to recognize good coaches, and I'm excited to work with Al Borges." Borges is SDSU's new offensive coordinator.
"Defenses have gotten a little more deceptive with their blitzing, but it's still 11-on-11," Sipe said.
"Some of the guys wanted his autograph this morning," Hoke said. "I told the coaches, 'You've got one chance only.' "
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Sipe starred at quarterback for San Diego State from 1969-71, then played for the Cleveland Browns for 10 seasons. He finished his career by playing two seasons in the USFL. He was the NFL MVP in 1980.
He led Santa Fe Christian High to four San Diego Section titles and was 75-21-1 overall.
Sipe was a member of the team from suburban El Cajon that won the 1961 Little League World Series.
