Sanjay Lal


Sanjay Lal is an American football coach who is the senior offensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys.

Early life

Born in London, Lal enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, and played college football for the UCLA Bruins in 1989, and was a member of the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic winning team. He then transferred to the University of Washington, where he played for the Washington Huskies from 1990 through 1992. He was a member of the Huskies' national championship team in 1992. Additionally, the Husky Hall of Fame selection was a member of two Rose Bowl teams while at UW.
After graduating from Washington with a degree in business administration, Lal was invited to the Oakland Raiders' training camp and subsequently signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams and then with the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe.

Coaching career

Early career

In 1996, Sanjay was hired as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Miramonte High School. During his tenure, the school won five North Coast Section Championships and one state title, including a 13-0 record in 2001.

Oakland Raiders

In 2007, Lal was hired by the Oakland Raiders as an offensive quality control coach under head coach Lane Kiffin. In 2009, he was promoted to wide receivers coach under head coach Tom Cable. During his tenure with the Raiders, he coached and developed young receivers such as Chaz Schilens, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford, and Denarius Moore.

New York Jets

On January 13, 2013, Lal was hired by the New York Jets as their wide receivers coach.

Indianapolis Colts

On January 25, 2017, Lal was hired by the Indianapolis Colts as their wide receivers coach under head coach Chuck Pagano.

Dallas Cowboys

On January 14, 2018, Lal was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as their wide receivers coach, replacing Derek Dooley, who left to become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Missouri. On January 8, 2020, the Cowboys announced Lal would not be retained under new head coach Mike McCarthy.