He served as the head football coach at William Jewell College in 1911, at Haskell Institute—now Haskell Indian Nations University—from 1918 to 1919, at Grinnell College from 1920 to 1921, and at Clemson University from 1923 to 1926.

Saunders was the head basketball coach at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois during the 1922–23 season and at Clemson from 1923 to 1925, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 20–40.

[3][4] Saunders began his coaching career in William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri when he took charge of the football team in October 1911.

[5] Saunders served briefly as a football coach at Knox College previous to his stint at Clemson.

This biographical article relating to a college football coach first appointed in the 1920s is a stub.