He earned Academic All-American football honors as a three-year starter and team captain at defensive back and wide receiver from 1966 to 1968.

He then spent six seasons as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of California where he tutored All-American quarterbacks Joe Roth and Rich Campbell.

He guided the Golden Bears to set 32 NCAA, conference and school records and finished each season ranked in the top ten in the nation in passing.

[6] Saunders first full season as head coach in 1987 was marked by the NFL players union strike and the "Replacement" games.

After that season Saunders was replaced by Dan Henning amidst reports of philosophical differences between him and Director of Football Operations Steve Ortmayer.

[8] After Schottenheimer's unexpected resignation from the Chiefs, Saunders joined the St. Louis Rams coaching staff under the legendary Dick Vermeil.

The emergence of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, the production of Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, and Saunders's development of Pro Bowlers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were all largely cited as the key factor in the Rams' innovative and creative success.

Additionally, Tony Gonzalez set the NFL single-season receiving mark for tight ends (102 in 2004), Trent Green became only the fourth player in league history to finish four consecutive seasons with a QB rating above 90, and 11 different offensive players enjoyed Pro Bowl years — all under Saunders's direction.

[9] Constructing an offense around the skills of Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson, the Rams had one of the most dominant rushing attacks in the NFL.

[11] Saunders contributed to designing an offense that produced back-to-back playoff appearances for the Ravens and worked closely with Pro Bowl performers Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta.

On January 20, 2011, Saunders was hired by Al Davis and Hue Jackson to serve as the offensive coordinator and QB coach for the Oakland Raiders.

[13] Saunders announced his retirement on April 10, 2015, but returned on October 7 as the Miami Dolphins' senior offensive assistant under interim coach Dan Campbell.

During this time Jarvis Landry set a franchise record with 110 receptions and became the most productive receiver in NFL history during his first two seasons with a total of 194.