ASU hires running backs coach

Arkansas State finally has a full coaching staff again. ASU announced Monday in a release that it has hired Norval McKenzie for its coaching staff, filling out a staff that has been in transition since the 2015 season ended with a loss to Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19.

McKenzie spent the past five seasons at Furman, a member of the FCS Southern Conference, serving at different times as running backs coach, special teams coordinator and special teams coordinator. The Vanderbilt graduate, where he was a four- year letterman as a running back in 20012004, was a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt in 2008- 2009. In 2010, McKenzie was the Commodores’ assistant recruiting coordinator.

ASU also announced in the release the hiring of Allen Rudolph as assistant offensive line coach, which Coach Blake Anderson confirmed via Twitter last week. Rudolph, a 21- year coaching veteran, spent the past three seasons with the Hamilton TigerCats of the Canadian Football League. Rudolph was formerly assistant coach at Louisiana- Monroe in 2002- 2003.

“Norval is a young, energetic coach who possesses great football knowledge and is well- respected by his peers,” Anderson said in the release. “Allen not only has valuable experience coaching within our league, but I think his time in the CFL will also be a great benefit to our players.”

The hirings complete a staff that lost offensive coordinator Walt Bell to Maryland in December, running backs coach Anthony Tucker to Maryland last month and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee to Missouri last month. Darren Hiller, hired by Anderson to coach offensive line, left for an undisclosed destination last month; and DeAndre Smith, hired to coach running backs, left for Purdue.