Devil staff’s connections key to success
After Arizona State punter Michael Turk declared for the NFL draft, Arizona State special teams coach Shawn Slocum had to go on the hunt for a replacement. His first call was to noted kicking specialist Jamie Kohl who runs camps throughout the country and is a renowned expert in that department.
It was through Kohl that Slocum found Logan Tyler, who was looking to transfer out of Florida State.
Turk ended up returning in an unprecedented move even after declaring, signing with an agent and going through the process. Despite that, Tyler is also still reporting to Tempe, so the Sun Devils are going to be well-stocked when it comes to special teams.
As in any business, the foundation of a football program is built with connections its coaches have established and few can claim the reach of an ASU program that has its tentacles deep into the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.
Antonio Pierce was the first person head coach Herm Edwards brought in when he was appointed head coach in December of 2017. The second was Al Luginbill, who serves as director of player personnel and whose connections might be rivaled only by those on his own staff.
“Our black book runs deep,” laughs Pierce, who wears a lot of hats, one of those recruiting coordinator.
The Sun Devils have used their connections to fill other voids too. The biggest area of need in recent years has been the offensive line with Edwards and
line coach Dave Christensen forced to start two true freshman in 2019, something almost unprecedented for a Power 5 competitor.
With four seniors graduating it was again an area of concern and the Sun Devils procured the services of two grad transfers in Kellen Diesch from Texas A&M and Henry Hattis from Stanford. It was past relationships that made a difference there as well.
Christensen had long-standing ties to Diesch, having coached the same position at Texas A&M in 2015 and having recruited him there. So it was a no-brainer for Diesch to finish out his career in Tempe. He enrolled in ASU in January and was able to take part in the seven spring practices before the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, and will be the starter at left tackle.
The other offensive line newcomer’s way here was paved with several previous connections. Hattis had played three years at Stanford, starting six games in 2019 before sustaining a season-ending injury.
Hattis was close to Casey Tucker, who also played at Stanford before deciding to move to ASU as a grad transfer in 2018. When Hattis opted to look elsewhere he got a rousing endorsement of the school from Tucker, currently on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It probably didn’t hurt that Hattis’ sister, Sara, played for the Sun Devil women’s basketball team.
“When someone decides to go to another school you never take it personally,” Christensen said. “You never burn a bridge with a kid. I’ve always tried to maintain a good relationship with whoever we have recruited. You never know what can happen. You always want the best for a kid whether he goes to your school or not.”
A connection also proved pivotal in ASU flipping coveted freshman wide receiver Johnny Wilson who originally committed to Pac-12 favorite Oregon only to sign with the Sun Devils, making for four four-star recruits ASU corralled in the same recruiting cycle.
The key figure in the mix was Prentice Gill, who had been on the Oregon staff as an offensive analyst but left that job to take a position coaching job at ASU, where he will develop the wide receiving corps along with Derek Hagan.
“He always liked ASU better as far as the school and football,” Gill said of Wilson. “But his relationship with the position coach here at the time (Charlie Fisher) wasn’t as strong as the one we had developed when I was there. Once I decided to come here, this is really where he wanted to be.”
While it remains to be seen if this season will go off as scheduled, there has been renewed energy around the ASU program thanks to Edwards and his merry band of charismatic coaches, led by Pierce, also the school’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach.
The Sun Devils have made no secret of their desire to make California their main hunting ground when it comes to high school prospects. That was reflected in last year’s recruiting class which featured seven of the state’s top 31 recruits as tabbed by 247Sports. To put that in perspective, USC and UCLA managed just two each in their own state. Oregon was second at four recruits out of the state.
By many metrics, it was the most heralded class the Sun Devils have ever landed, finishing at No. 24 according to 247Sports.
Pierce, the head coach at top power Long Beach Poly before he came to ASU, has been instrumental in ASU expanding its footprint in the Golden State.
“It’s all about connections and trust. That’s the name of the game,” Pierce said. “Players and their parents have to trust what you’re telling them and believe in that relationship you’ve established. They hear it all from coaches at every school trying to get their kid but they’re going to your school if they really buy and believe in what you’re telling them.”
Pierce added that those attributes are probably more important now than ever because of the restrictions in place as a result of the global health crisis. There is still a ban on recruiting travel so prospects are, in most cases, committing to a program sight unseen.
Pierce also said this is also a case where the name recognition and the connections those on the ASU staff have will carry some weight with eight on staff having played or coached in the NFL.
“I think it gives us a foot in the door where we may not have had it,” Pierce said.