Tanner graduated from Henninger High School where he was a 1984 third team and 1985 fourth team NSCAA High School All American and a 1985 Parade Magazine High School All American soccer player. He attended North Carolina State University, playing on the men’s soccer team from 1986 to 1990. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 1991.
In 1991, the Cleveland Crunch of the Major Indoor Soccer League selected Tanner in the second round of the MISL Draft. On June 29, 1991, Tanner made his debut and scored his first goal for the Crunch in a rare outdoor exhibition game against PSV Eindhoven. The MISL collapsed in 1992 and the Crunch moved to the National Soccer League.
In 2000, the Crunch lost in the finals to the Milwaukee Wave.
Tanner retired from the Crunch in 2001. In 1996, Tanner joined the Rochester Rhinos of the USISL A-League.
He spent each summer for the next six years playing for the Rhinos, serving as team captain from 1998 to 2001. In 1996, Rochester went to the finals of both the league championship and the In 2003, Tanner moved to the Syracuse Salty Dogs as a player-assistant coach.
In August 2003, he added general manager to his list of team duties.
The Salty Dogs withdrew from the league following the 2004 season and folded. In 2001, Tanner became the director of coaching with the Syracuse Soccer Academy, a position he held until 2003. In 2003, Tanner became an assistant coach with the Syracuse Salty Dogs of the USL A-League.
In 2004, he founded and coached the Syracuse Football Club.
In 2011, he became the Head and owner of the Syracuse Silver Knights.
