A History of Arizona State University Football Coaches
The Arizona State Sun Devils football team has a rich and storied history, representing Arizona State University (ASU) in the sport of American college football. As a member of the Big 12 Conference, the Sun Devils compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since the team's inception in 1897, ASU has seen a number of coaches lead the program.
Early Coaching Years
The Arizona State football program began in 1897, and since then, there have been 24 head coaches and two interim head coaches.
Frederick M. Irish served as the first head football coach at the Territorial Normal School, which was later renamed Tempe Normal School in 1903 and is now known as Arizona State University. Irish coached from 1896 to 1906, compiling a record of 12-8. Notably, Territorial Normal did not field a football team in 1897, 1898, or 1901.
George Schaeffer took the helm as head football coach at Tempe Normal School from 1914 to 1916, achieving a record of 7-8.
Aaron McCreary oversaw the school's football program from 1923 to 1929. During this period, the school changed its nickname from the Owls to the Bulldogs, and the name of the school was changed to Arizona State University. McCreary left ASU with a 25-17-4 record.
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Ted Shipkey led the Arizona State football program from 1930 to 1932, compiling a record of 13-10-2. Shipkey was replaced by Rudy Lavik, who led Arizona State to a less impressive 13-26-3 mark in his five seasons.
Dixie Howell served as ASU's head coach from 1938 to 1941, compiling a record of 23-15-4.
In 1947, Ed Doherty became head coach at Arizona State, where he compiled a 25-17 record from 1947 to 1950.
Clyde Smith took over the reins of the Arizona State football program in 1952, and under his leadership, they compiled a record of 15-13-1. Smith resigned following the 1954 season.
Dan Devine Era
On February 5, 1955, Michigan State assistant coach Dan Devine accepted the head coaching position at Arizona State. Joining him as an assistant was Frank Kush, who would have even greater success at the school after Devine's departure.
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Dan Devine began his head coaching career at Arizona State University in 1955 at 31 years old. In his first season, he led the Sun Devils to an impressive 8-2-1 record. Remarkably, that debut season would turn out to be his worst at ASU. In 1956, the team improved to 9-1, with their only loss coming against UTEP, 28-0. The 1957 season was historic, as Devine guided ASU to its first perfect season, finishing 10-0. After compiling a remarkable 27-3-1 (.887) record over three seasons, Devine moved on to other coaching opportunities.
Following his resignation from Notre Dame in 1980, he returned to ASU as the executive director of the Sun Angel Foundation, a role he held for seven years.
The Frank Kush Era: A Legacy of Dominance
Frank Kush's name is synonymous with Arizona State football. His tenure, spanning from 1958 to 1979, is the longest and most successful in program history. Kush was promoted to head coach, a position he would hold for 22 years. During his time, Kush was known for being one of the most physically demanding coaches.
Kush compiled a record of 176-54-1, with only one losing season. In his first 11 years, he captured two conference titles and finished runner-up 5 times. That success led to him accepting head coach at the University of Pittsburgh on January 4, 1969. However, just 5 days later, Kush had a change of heart and returned to Arizona State.
Kush's return would begin a memorable era with 5 consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships as the team won 50 of 56 games from 1969 to 1973. Arizona State won the 1970 Peach Bowl and the first three editions of the Fiesta Bowl. In 1974, the team dropped to 7-4, but bounced back the following year 12-0, capping the year with a thrilling 17-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Fiesta Bowl, a game in which Kush's son, Danny, kicked three field goals, including the winner. 1976 saw the team fall to 4-7, but another comeback resulted the next year with a 9-3 mark. In that year's Fiesta Bowl, the Sun Devils lost a bowl game for the only time under Kush's leadership, with a 42-30 defeat to Penn State.
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In September 1979 former Sun Devil punter Kevin Rutledge filed a $1.1 million lawsuit against the school, accusing Kush and his staff of mental and physical harassment that forced him to transfer. The most dramatic charge was that Kush had punched Rutledge in the mouth, after a bad punt in the October 28, 1978, game against the Washington Huskies. During the next few weeks, overzealous fans turned things ugly when the insurance office of Rutledge's father suffered a fire and the family's attorney received death threats. On October 13, 1979, Kush was fired for interfering with the school's investigation into Rutledge's allegations. Athletic director Fred Miller cited Kush's alleged attempts to pressure players and coaches into keeping quiet. The decision came just three hours before the team's home game against Washington. Kush was allowed to coach the game, with the Sun Devils pulling off an emotional 12-7 upset of the sixth-ranked Huskies, fueled by the angry crowd incensed by the decision.
Future NFL players who played under Kush include Charley Taylor, Curley Culp, Danny White, Benny Malone, Mike Haynes, and John Jefferson and Steve Holden.
Frank Kush's legacy is undeniable. He is ASU's coaching leader in years served (22), games-coached (231) and wins (176). To honor his contributions, the field at Sun Devil Stadium was renamed Frank Kush Field.
Post-Kush Era: Navigating Change
Following Kush's departure, Darryl Rogers replaced him and led the Sun Devils to a 37-18-1 record in five seasons. The best season of the Rogers era came in 1982, a 10-2 campaign that resulted in a Fiesta Bowl win and a No.
John Cooper left his post as Tulsa head coach and became the head coach at Arizona State in 1985. His teams played in three consecutive bowl games, including the 1987 Rose Bowl. Notably, he was just 0-2-1 against arch-rival Arizona.
Bruce Snyder left California to become ASU's head coach in 1992. Snyder's 58 wins and nine-year tenure as head coach at Arizona State each rank second in school history to marks set by Frank Kush. Snyder led ASU to four bowl games including a win in the 1997 Sun Bowl. More than 40 ASU players coached by Snyder were selected in the National Football League Draft, including seven in the first round, and more than 40 others signed free agent contracts in the National Football League. In 1996, Snyder led the Sun Devils to one of the finest seasons in school history and was named Pacific-10 Coach of the Year. The 1996 squad finished with an 11-1 record and captured the Pacific-10 championship. The Sun Devils stunned the top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers in the season's second game. Arizona State reeled off the third undefeated regular season in school history en route 1997 Rose Bowl, where they came within 19 seconds of a victory over Ohio State. Had they won, the Sun Devils would have likely won at least a share of the national championship, as they would have been the only undefeated major-conference team in the nation.
The 21st Century: A New Era of Coaches
Boise State head coach Dirk Koetter was hired to replace Snyder in 2001. At Arizona State, Koetter compiled a 40-34 record and four Bowl appearances in six years. Under Koetter the Sun Devils were known for a vertical passing attack.
Seasoned coaching veteran Dennis Erickson left Idaho for the opportunity to lead his fourth BCS program. Athletic director Lisa Love hired him on December 9 to replace the recently fired Dirk Koetter. Arizona State was Erickson's third head coaching stint in the Pacific-10, after Washington State and Oregon State. Arizona State paid $2.8 million to Koetter and a $150,000 buyout to Idaho to complete the hiring of Erickson to a five-year contract. He immediately paid dividends for ASU, leading the Sun Devils to a 10-2 regular season record in 2007, a share of the Pacific-10 title, and a berth in the Holiday Bowl. Erickson was named the 2007 Pacific-10 Coach of the Year, becoming the first to ever win the award at three different Pacific-10 schools. He also coached another major award winner; placekicker Thomas Weber was named the Lou Groza Award winner. Erickson worked for the relatively low salary of $500,000 from ASU in his first season, with another $2 million paid by the 49ers for the last year of his NFL contract. The remaining four years of the original ASU contract paid $1.275 million per year. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona State through June 2012. Erickson's early success at ASU was not sustained, as the Sun Devils failed to have another winning season and lost three of four Territorial Cup rivalry games against Arizona. In his final four seasons, Erickson was 21-28 overall and 14-22 in conference.
In his first season at Arizona State, the Sun Devils went 8-5 securing their first winning season since 2007. With a win in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against the Navy Midshipmen, the 2012 Sun Devils won the final three games of the season for the first time since 1978. ESPN's Pac-12 Blog writer Ted Miller called Todd Graham's first season at Arizona State an "unquestioned success." In 2013, Graham continued to build positive momentum and led ASU the Pac-12 South title after defeating UCLA and rival Arizona. ASU finished the season 10-4 and ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the Coach's Poll. For his efforts in leading ASU to a Pac-12 South championship, Graham received the 2013 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Award. In 2014, ASU finished with yet another 10 win season by going 10-3 and ranking No. 12 in the final AP Poll and No. 14 in the final Coach's Poll. The season was capped off with Graham leading the Sun Devils to victory over Duke University in the Sun Bowl. The 2015 season saw a big drop off for the program as the Sun Devils finished a disappointing 6-7 with a 42-43 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Cactus Bowl. The trend continued into the next two seasons. The Sun Devils finished 2016 on a 6-game losing streak which culminated in a 5-7 record. 2017 would be Graham's final season. The team improved only slightly, finishing 7-6 with a Sun Bowl loss to North Carolina State, 31-52.
On December 3, 2017, longtime NFL coach and ESPN analyst Herm Edwards was announced as the next head coach of the Sun Devils. Edwards kicked off the 2018 season with a 2-0 record, including a marquee win over then #15 Michigan State. Despite the promising start, the Devils dropped four of their next five games, sitting with a 1-3 conference record. Arizona State surged, winning their next three, but fell just short to Oregon and a Pac-12 South title. The Territorial Cup was played at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, November 24. Arizona led the Sun Devils by 19 points entering the fourth quarter, but a wild comeback by ASU, capped off by what would've been a game winning field goal by Arizona, resulted in the cup staying in Tempe. The Sun Devils then faced Fresno State In the Las Vegas Bowl, losing 31-20 and completing the season with a 7-6(5-4) record. Herm Edwards started his second season off 3-0, once again beating #18 Michigan State, this time on the road. ASU dropped their conference opener against Colorado, but bounced back with two straight wins, including a victory over #15 Cal to improve to 2-1 in conference play before dropping four consecutive games, officially disqualifying them from the Pac-12 South title. Arizona State shocked #6 Oregon at home, winning 31-28 in front of a packed stadium. The Sun Devils capped off the season with a win over rival Arizona, 24-14, and a Sun Bowl victory over Florida State, 20-14, finishing with a record of 8-5(4-5). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic Pac-12 teams had only six games scheduled. Arizona State dropped their first game to #20 USC 28-27 in heartbreaking fashion, and their following two contests were cancelled due to COVID complications within the Arizona State program. The Sun Devils returned from their nearly month long hiatus with a game versus UCLA, which they lost at home 25-18. ASU traveled to take on Arizona in Tucson for the 94th installment of the Territorial Cup. The Sun Devils slaughtered the Wildcats, 70-7, retaining the Cup for the third straight year. In their fourth and final game of the season, Arizona State capped off the season with a 46-33 win over Oregon State to finish the season 2-2 (2-2). In June 2021, rumors began circulating of several NCAA violations committed by Herm Edwards and the Arizona State staff, which were confirmed by several articles, including one published on June 23 by Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports. As a result of the allegations, tight ends coach Adam Breneman, defensive backs coach Christian Hawkins, and wide receivers coach Prentice Gill were placed and remain on administrative leave. Despite the numerous allegations of violations and rumors that the entire staff may be fired after the season, Herm Edwards and his Sun Devils finished 8-5 overall and 6-3 in Pac-12 play. The season concluded with a 20-13 loss to Wisconsin in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. On April 19, 2024, Arizona State and Edwards received four years of probation, an undisclosed fine, 8 vacated wins in which ineligible players competed, a reduced number of scholarships and recruiting restrictions, as well as an accepted self-imposed punishment of a 2024 bowl ban.
Kenny Dillingham: A Promising Future
Kenny Dillingham has orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in college football during the 2024 season. After winning just two games in 2023, No. 13 Arizona State (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) plays against No. 16 Iowa State (10-2, 7-2) with a chance to win a conference Championship and a shot at the 12-team College Football Playoff in Year 2 under Dillingham and the Sun Devils' first year in the Big 12. The Sun Devils were picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 in their first year in the new conference. However, ASU closed the season with five straight wins, including back-to-back wins over then-No. 16 Kansas State and No. 14 BYU, to finish in a three-way tie for the conference standings.
Kenny had led ASU in the 2024 season to a 5-1 start with an upset win against No. 16 Utah. In week 13, Dillingham led the Sun Devils to a 24-14 upset victory over No. 20 Kansas State. After the victory, the Sun Devils were ranked No. 21, their first time being ranked since 2019. In week 14, Dillingham and three touchdowns from running back Cam Skattebo led the Sun Devils to a 28-23 win over No. 20 BYU and brought the Sun Devils to the No. 16 rank. After beating rival Arizona 49-7 in their yearly matchup, ASU clinched an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game, where they defeated Iowa State, 45-19. They were seeded 4th in the College Football Playoff, receiving a first round bye. ASU ultimately played in the Peach Bowl against the University of Texas on January 1, 2025.
The future is bright in Tempe, Arizona, as Dillingham is the youngest FBS football coach during the 2024 season. Dillingham was born on April 28, 1990, making him 34. He is currently the youngest head coach in college football. Oregon coach Dan Lanning ― who Dillingham spent a year as an offensive coordinator under in 2022 ― is the second youngest FBS coach this season at 38. He was born in Phoenix and grew up wanting to be the coach of the Sun Devils. He graduated from Arizona State in 2013. At his introductory press conference, he called the Arizona State job his "dream job."
Arizona State is Dillingham's first stop as a head coach. He served as an offensive analyst for the Sun Devils from 2014-15 before joining Mike Norvell's staff at Memphis from 2016 through 2018. In 2019, he took a job with Auburn as an offensive coordinator. In 2020, Dillingham re-joined Norvell as the offensive coordinator at Florida State for 2020-21. He served as Oregon's offensive coordinator in 2022. Dillingham was hired to be the Sun Devils head coach on Nov.
Acknowledging National Championships
In 1970, ASU finished their season undefeated after defeating North Carolina 48-26 in the Peach Bowl. Poling System (1935-1984) recognized ASU as the No. 1 team in their polling, securing ASU's first National Championship voted by a major poll. In 1975, ASU finished an undefeated season, by beating No. 6 Nebraska 17-14 in the Fiesta Bowl. ASU was ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches Final Polls. (ASU received 5 of the 63 votes from the AP poll for the No. 1 ranking). Despite the AP and Coaches Polls not picking ASU as No.1, ASU was recognized as the No. 1 team by multiple major selection polls including Sporting News, and The National Championship Foundation. ASU does not officially claim either National Championship. The NCAA does acknowledge many less known claims to football National Championships in their official record book, including the 1970 and 1975 Arizona State teams. Schools are able to officially claim non AP/Coaches Poll finishes due to the NCAA not having a sanctioned NCAA championship in the Division I FBS.
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