Tight ends coach Derek Sage returned to Toledo for his second stint as an assistant football coach in 2024.
Sage, who previously served as Toledo’s wide receivers coach from 2014-16, led a tight end room last year that featured senior Anthony Torres, who caught 31 passes for 404 yards. Torres, who participated in the 2025 Hula Bowl was tied for third in MAC with nine TD receptions.
During his first stint at Toledo, Sage mentored future NFL wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Cody Thompson. The 2016 Rockets ranked seventh nationally in total offense and averaged 322.8 passing yards per game, with Thompson (64 receptions, 11 TDs) earning first-team All-MAC honors. Johnson was a third-round pick by Pittsburgh in the third round of 2019 NFL Draft, and has gone on to earn All-Pro honors. Thompson has played two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
In 2015, the Rockets averaged 35.0 points per game on their way to a 10-2 season that included victories at No. 18 Arkansas and over No. 24 Temple in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. Alonzo Russell earned second-team all-league honors, while Thompson finished third in the country in yards per reception (22.3). In 2014, Sage coached a pair of All-MAC receivers, Russell and Corey Jones, and the Rockets were No. 1 in the MAC in scoring and total offense, powering UT to a 9-4 record and a victory in the GoDaddy Bowl. In his three seasons at UT, Sage mentored seven all-conference receivers.
Prior to his return to Toledo, Sage was the offensive coordinator at Nevada in 2022-23. At Nevada, Sage coached five players who earned All-Mountain West league honors: wide receiver Dalevon Campbell and offensive lineman Isaiah World in 2023, and wide receiver BJ Casteel, offensive lineman Grant Starck, and running back Toa Taua in 2022.
Prior to joining the staff at Nevada, Sage spent four seasons (2018-21) as the tight ends coach at UCLA. During the 2021 season at UCLA as special teams coordinator, Sage helped the Bruins lead the nation in punt returns yardage (20.00), as well as finish seventh in kickoff return yardage (27.38).
While at UCLA, Sage helped develop three of the nation’s top tight ends, including Mackey Award semifinalist Greg Dulcich, 2020 New England Patriots NFL Draft selection Devin Asiasi and UCLA record-breaking tight end and Arizona Cardinals 2019 NFL Draft selection Caleb Wilson. Dulcich ranked fourth among tight ends nationally with 17.3 yards per catch and was fifth in the Pac-12 with 60.4 yards per game. He posted two 100-yard games during the season to mark the eighth consecutive year in which a Bruin tight end has reached the century level in a game. Dulcich was selected with the 80th pick (3rd round) by the Denver Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Sage served as Washington State's outside receivers coach in 2017. Washington State's passing offense ranked second in the nation (366.8) that season and the Cougars led the Pac-12 in several offensive categories, including passing yards per game (366.8), touchdown passes (37) and total passing yards (4,769).
Prior to his three seasons at Toledo, Sage had a four-year stint as the wide receivers coach at Wyoming from 2010-13. In 2013, he mentored Cowboy wide receiver Robert Herron, who finished his career as the school's No. 4 all-time leader in touchdown catches with 20 and later played in the 2014 Reese's Senior Bowl and was drafted by Tampa Bay. Sage coached four all-conference receivers during his time in Laramie.
Prior to his work at Wyoming, Sage was the wide receivers coach at New Hampshire from 2005-09, where he worked with Head Coach Chip Kelly. New Hampshire earned bids to the FCS playoffs in each of Sage's five seasons with the program, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. While at New Hampshire, Sage coached some of the most productive receivers in school history, including All-American David Ball. Ball set New Hampshire receiving records for career receptions (304) and career receiving yards (4,655). He also became the NCAA career leader in TD receptions at the time with 58, breaking Jerry Rice's previous record of 51 at Mississippi Valley State.
A native of Sparks, Nev., Sage played tight end for Sacramento City College for two years (1998-99), helping his team win conference and bowl championships at the junior college level. Sage completed his college career at Cal State Northridge, where he earned two letters at tight end in 2000 and 2001. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Northridge in 2002.
Sage and his wife Mandy have two children, daughter Piper, and son, Casen.
Derek Sage Coaching Experience
2024-25 Toledo - Tight Ends
2022-23 Nevada - Offensive Coordinator
2018-21 UCLA - Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator
2017 Washington State - Wide Receivers
2014-16 Toledo - Wide Receivers
2010-13 Wyoming - Wide Receivers
2005-09 New Hampshire - Wide Receivers
2003-04 Nevada - Graduate assistant
2002 Moorpark College (Calif.) - Offensive Line/Tight Ends
