A new Sanchez leads No. 3 Bishop Gorman against heavyweight schedule in 2015

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See the standout quarterback in action during the 2014 season.

New Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) head football coach Kenny Sanchez had two weeks to make the most important decision of his professional life last winter.

The safe path, as it turned out, was to leave where he was planted and join his brother Tony at UNLV.

It was a dream job in many ways, doing what Sanchez loves most — coach hungry football players, albeit at the next level. Plus, with his brother at the helm there was some job security.

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"Tony and I are super close," Sanchez said. "We've worked very well together for many years."

His other option was to take over one of the nation's most coveted high school coaching jobs at Gorman, which opens the season No. 3 in the MaxPreps Early Contenders Top 25 National Preseason Rankings.

Tony owned the keys to that spiffy luxury car for six seasons and sported six state championships, an 85-5 record and the 2014 mythical national title, according to the MaxPreps Top 25 Composite.

That vaulted him to an FBS head-coaching job, becoming just the third high school coach in history to make that direct leap.

Kenny Sanchez drove Gorman's defense during that six-year run and was a huge part of the Gaels' success. That's why the job was offered to him to continue the family business, if you will.

"It was both — a win-win situation but a very tough decision," Sanchez said. "Either choice was a great opportunity."

Sanchez chose Gorman, he said, because of the "ability to grow as a person," and actually leave his comfort zone.

"I think working side-by-side with Tony for the last 11 years has helped groom me for this job," Sanchez said. "I've had other great mentors to learn from as well (Mike Virden, Elsworth College).

"At the end of the day, we constantly push our players to grow and improve. I felt that should apply to me as well."

Sanchez never wanted to be the center of attention. That was Tony's forte and younger brother was the perfect compliment as the equally adept but behind-the-scenes, hard-driving defensive coordinator who was responsible only for his kids.

Sanchez is still that — he'll make the defensive calls — but his list of responsibilities as head coach and school's senior dean is a mountain of work. Or, as Sanchez sees it, a "mountain of opportunity."

Much like his brother, Sanchez sees all half-empty stadiums as half full.

"The dean's job helps me stay on top of the kids and their grades," he said. "Any discipline issues I'm in front of it, instead of trying to catch up.

"We have a great administration that makes things really easy, we have a big booster and alumni group that I'm fully involved with, and then there's the media to deal with.

"What's not to love?"

Though Sanchez' duties and life are vastly changed — he's engaged to be married and the couple is expecting their first child — the rest of the program is largely the same.

His brother took quarterback coach Ron O'Dell to UNLV, but other than running backs coach Craig Canfield being elevated to offensive coordinator and bringing in former NFL linebacker Chris Brown to coach that position, the staff at all levels is unchanged.

"The recipe for success is still the same," Sanchez said.

With 13 returning starters, including 11 who have FBS offers, and another monstrous schedule — they play Top 25 teams Chandler (Ariz.) and Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), along with New Jersey staple Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey) and Southern California powers Long Beach Poly and Servite — the Gaels could challenge for another national crown.

It helps to have one of the nation's most talented and seasoned junior quarterbacks, Tate Martell, and his favorite explosive target Tyjon Lindsey, another five-star junior. Martell received an offer from Alabama last week after ones from USC and Texas A&M.

Of Martell, who was a late transfer from California but accounted for 45 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards last season, Sanchez said: "Last season, he had little pressure on him. He could just be the great athlete that he is and play football. This year he's stepped into a big leadership role. He relishes it. He loves football. He's done a great job and is a great kid."

Add in game-breaking running backs Biaggio Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, and Jonathan Shumaker, to go along with big and athletic lines and a stout defense, and it's no wonder the Gaels have started so high in the rankings.

Even with the brothers' swap at the top.

"Last year, with the schedule we had, we definitely climbed to the top of Mt. Everest," Sanchez said. "This is a new team. We're back at the bottom but prepared to make that climb again."