Franklinton High School coach Trent Sanders died in his sleep overnight Thursday, school officials said.

Sanders, who was in his 19th year at the school, took on many roles in athletics, from assisting the football team, to running the junior varsity football and middle school football programs, to coaching the indoor and outdoor track and field teams.

Franklinton head football coach and athletic director Jeremy Buck said the news of Sanders' death hit the school hard on Friday morning.

"It's usually a playful group of kids in the morning, but it was just quiet. No one said a word," Buck said. "There are many, many more people here that are more qualified to talk about his legacy at Franklinton, people who have been here longer than I have, but I cannot even begin to tell the impact he has had on this community."

Deran Coe, the Senior Director of Athletics for Wake County Schools, spent time at Franklinton before moving to Wake County and got to know Sanders.

"Trent was one of the most caring and honest people I've known. He put on a tough exterior, but he had the biggest heart in the world," Coe said. "He will be missed greatly by so many."

In his role as coach, and also in his role as the in-school suspension coordinator, Sanders played a role in discipline. The kids respected him for it.

"Guys that had to go to ISS more than they should have, I saw them with their emotions running today. Some student-athletes who I didn't realize had a connection to him, they were emotional today. It just shows how broad of a range he covered," Buck said. "His ability to convey discipline while showing his support and respect for the kids, it was well-received."

In addition to his role on the football staff, Sanders was also the track coach. He led teams to conference titles, and last year he helped Franklinton's Charity Snelling win the school's first state championship.

"He as the one that guided her for four years and pushed her to that level," Buck said, describing Sanders' impact on Snelling. "I heard one of our students say today, 'Track won't be the same.'"

Franklinton's home football game against Northwest Halifax on Friday night is expected to go on as scheduled. The Red Rams will remember Sanders during the game.

"We will have a moment of silence to remember Coach Sanders, and I expect we will have a larger turnout tonight than maybe we would ave anticipated," Buck said. "The community will want to show their respect for him because he was important to the community."



Visitation and a funeral service will be held Monday at Greater Felton Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 812 N.C. Highway 55 South, Apex. The visitation starts at noon and the funeral service will start at 1 p.m.

Follow Nick Stevens on Twitter @NickStevensHSOT