Sanford began his coaching career at in 1896 at Cornell.[7][8][9] He assisted Yale during the 1897 and 1888 seasons.[10][11] In 1899, he became the first paid coach at Columbia University, receiving $5,000 a year.[12][13] He was let go in 1902 in favor of Bill Morley.[14] He spent that year out of football, instead working in the locomotive business in Chicago.[15] He helped coach Yale during the final three weeks of the 1903 season.[16] In 1904, he was the head coach at the University of Virginia.[13] In 1905, 1910, 1911, and 1912, he assisted at Yale when it did not interfere with his business commitments.[17][18][19][20]
From 1913 to 1923, Sanford was the head coach at Rutgers University.[1] His 1915 scored more points than any other eastern college football team.[21] Sanford's players at Rutgers included Paul Robeson and Homer Hazel.[1] After his retirement from coaching, Sanford remained involved with the football program as an advisor to his successor, John Wallace.[1] Throughout his time at Rutgers, Sanford did not collect a salary and worked full time as an insurance broker in New York City.[22]
Later life
After retiring from coaching, Sanford was president of the insurance brokerage firm of Smyth, Sanford & Gerard, Inc. in Manhattan, New York City. He died of a heart attack on May 23, 1938, at the age of 67 at Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. He was survived by his wife and two children.[1][23] His son, Foster Sanford Jr., was a member of the University of Pennsylvania baseball, football, and track teams and was a member of the University's board of trustees from 1958 to 1968.[24][25][26][27]