Joshua Saunders, a pioneer in high school girls’ flag football, has compiled an outstanding 301–34 record over 20 seasons as head coach at Robinson High School in Tampa. During his tenure, he has captured 11 FHSAA State Championships since 2014, including an unprecedented run of 10 consecutive titles from 2016 through 2026, along with 12 regional championships and 14 straight district titles. Robinson High School’s 11 state championships stand as a national benchmark for girls’ flag football, achieved during an era in which Florida has sanctioned and developed the sport since the early 2000s.

Saunders has served as the 17U Head Coach of the U.S. Girls National Flag Football Team since 2025, following his tenure as the 15U assistant coach, where he helped guide the program to two junior gold medals. He serves as head coach of the University of Florida Women’s Club Flag Football team as well, guiding the program to seven NIRSA National Championships (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026). His leadership includes previous service on the NIRSA Editorial Board and current service on the USA Football Flag Football Competition and High-Performance Committees.  In 2022, Saunders’ Robinson High School team competed at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, with the game televised on the NFL Network. Saunders is also a member of the Girls Flag Football Elite 11 staff and serves on the Tampa Chapter Board of the National Football Foundation.

Within the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, he has served as Flag Football Chairman since 2015, helping to grow statewide participation, increase clinic engagement, and expand the FACA Flag Football All-State recognition to more than 200 student-athletes. Additionally, he serves on both the FHSAA Flag Football Rules Committee and the FHSAA Flag Football Advisory Committee, contributing to the governance and continued development of the sport across Florida.

A five-time Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year and recipient of the 2020 PCA Tampa Bay Regional and National Double-Goal Coach Award, Saunders has elevated girls’ flag football to the national stage. His legacy is defined not only by championships, but by the student-athletes he has developed, the standards he has set, and the future he has built for the sport.