Report: ASU picks offensive coordinator
Defensive line coach - Check
Special teams coach - Check Offensive coordinator - Check
New Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham has reportedly added another to his staff with Beau Baldwin, the head coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo expected to come on board as offensive coordinator.
That’s three official appointments since Dillingham was tabbed head coach on Sunday and all have ties with the Big Sky Conference.
The two previous selections, defensive line coach Vince Amey and special teams coach Charlie Ragle, both are coming over from Idaho State.
Baldwin, 50, has spent the last three years heading the Cal Poly Mustangs, who were 4-21 in that stretch with identical seasons of 2-9 overall and 1-7 in Big Sky play each of the last two seasons. Before taking that head job he was on staff there for three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
While the numbers in the win-loss column haven’t been good there, Baldwin has had success directing a successful
program.
He won five Big Sky conference championships and directed Eastern Washington to six FCS playoff berths in his nine seasons with that program. He was named the Big Sky’s coach of the year in 2012 and 2013, seasons in which the Eagles were a combined 23-6 and advanced
to the FCS semifinals both years.
The Eagles defeated two Pac-12 teams during his tenure as head coach, the most notable being a 49-46 win at thenNo. 25 Oregon State in a season opener in 2013.
The other was a 35-31 win over Washington State in 2016.
Baldwin’s Eastern Washington teams were 85-32 overall from 2008-16, highlighted by a national championship in 2010 in which the Eagles defeated Delaware 20-19 in the title game held in Frisco, Texas.
He won two national championships and 10 conference titles as a coach at the FCS, Division II and NAIA levels during his 27-year career. He coached record-breaking receiver Cooper Kupp at Eastern Washington for five seasons. Kupp still owns the FCS record for career receptions (428), receiving yards (6,464), and receiving touchdowns (73).
Baldwin is also no stranger to the Pac-12, having served as offensive coordinator at Cal from 2017 to 2019.
In his competitive days, Baldwin was a quarterback at Central Washington from 1990-93, earning his bachelor’s degree from the school in 1996. He also spent one season in Sweden playing semi-pro football in 1993.
While Dillingham’s staff is still taking shape he said in his introductory press conference that Shaun Aguano, who served as interim coach after Herm Edwards departed, will remain although his position has yet to be determined.
ASU lands commitment
The Sun Devils landed their first commitment with Dillingham in charge as community college defensive back Adonis Forrest made his announcement on social media Thursday night.
Forrest is a 6-foot-4 defensive back who played one season at ContraCosta Community College in California, with his first season played at City College of San Francisco. He was limited to nine games last season by a shoulder injury.
Forrest has two years of eligibility remaining in addition to a redshirt year and is expected to arrive in Tempe next month for the spring semester.
Forrest committing to ASU was facilitated by his previous relationship Amey.
He also has a past association with Aaron Fletcher, who served as ASU’s secondary coach last year.