The Arizona State Sun Devils football team represents
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in t ...
in the sport of
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
. The Sun Devils team competes in the
Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...
(FBS) of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...
(NCAA) and the South Division of the
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
(Pac-12). Arizona State University has fielded a football team since 1897. The Sun Devils are led by head coach
Kenny Dillingham
Kenny Dillingham (born April 28, 1990) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Arizona State University. He previously served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon, Florida State University, Auburn ...
and play their home games at
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the southwestern United States, on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the ASU Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference. The st ...
in
Tempe, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Vale of Tempe
, image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg
, imagesize = 260px
, image_caption = Tempe skyline as s ...
. The Sun Devils have won seventeen conference titles, including three Pac-12 titles.
A number of successful and professional football players once played for ASU. The school has 3 unanimous
All-Americans
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
and 16 consensus selections. Among the most lauded players the school has produced are
Pat Tillman
Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the afterm ...
,
Terrell Suggs,
Mike Haynes,
Darren Woodson,
Charley Taylor, and
John Henry Johnson.
In addition to its players, ASU's football program has had several notable head coaches, including Hall of Famers
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine (December 23, 1924 – May 9, 2002) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the Unive ...
and
John Cooper and national champion
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football league. He was also the head coach at the University of Idaho ( ...
. The all-time school wins leader is Hall of Fame coach
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
, for whom
Frank Kush Field at
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the southwestern United States, on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the ASU Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference. The st ...
is named. Kush also consistently led the Sun Devils to victory against the
Arizona Wildcats
The Arizona Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for college footb ...
, ASU's
traditional rival, losing to the Wildcats only twice between 1963 and 1979.
History
Early history (1896–1957)
Frederick M. Irish
Frederick Mortimer "Cap" Irish (May 16, 1870 – April 12, 1941) was an American football coach, college athletics administrator, and science instructor. He served as the first head football coach at the Territorial Normal School, renamed Tempe No ...
served as the first head football coach at the Territorial Normal School, renamed Tempe Normal School in 1903 and now known as
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in t ...
, coaching from 1896 to 1906 and compiling a record of 12–8. Territorial Normal did not field a football team in 1897, 1898, or 1901.
George Schaeffer
George Harrison Schaeffer was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Tempe Normal School, now Arizona State University, from 1914 to ...
served as the head football coach at Tempe Normal School from 1914 to 1916, compiling a record of 7–8.
Aaron McCreary oversaw the school's football program from 1923–1929. During this time, 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.
Ted Shipkey led the Arizona State football program from 1930–1932, compiling a record of 13–10–2. Shipkey was replaced by
Rudy Lavik
Rudolph H. Lavik (April 30, 1892 – September 29, 1979) was an American football and basketball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota from 1920 to 1921, at Ar ...
, 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. He left after ASU five days after defeating rival Arizona, 47–13, because he felt that he didn't have enough job security.
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. On February 5, 1955,
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
assistant coach
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine (December 23, 1924 – May 9, 2002) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the Unive ...
accepted the head coaching position at Arizona State.
Joining him as an assistant was
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
, who would have even greater success at the school after Devine's departure. During his three years, Devine compiled a record of 27–3–1 (.887), including a spotless 10–0 mark during his final campaign. In that last season, Devine's team led the nation in total offense and scoring, averaging just under 40 points per game in the latter category.
Devine's success at Arizona State resulted in an offer from
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, which he accepted on December 18, 1957.
Frank Kush era (1958–1979)
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
was promoted to the position of head coach at Arizona State, which he would hold for the next 22 years. During his time at Arizona State, Kush was known for being one of the most physically demanding coaches in the game. His daily football practices in the heat of the
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
desert are still the stuff of legend today. One of his drills was known as "Bull in the Ring", whereupon he would have the players form a circle. He would put a player in the middle (most often, a player he felt needed "motivation"), call out a uniform number, and blow his whistle. That player would charge the player in the middle and the two would engage in contact until Kush blew the whistle again. Whichever of the two players gave the best effort would go back to the circle, while the player "dogging it" would stay in until Kush decided he could quit. Former
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
and Arizona State player
Curley Culp
Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American football defensive lineman who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State Uni ...
once broke a teammate's facemask during this drill. Another of his drills (which was designed to see if his running backs could take punishment carrying the ball) consisted of having only a
center,
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
, and two
running backs
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
line up on offense, with no other offensive lineman, and run running plays against the entire defense. Kush would run a running back into the line time and time again so he could get used to the pounding he would take in games.
The most famous of Kush's motivational techniques was called "Mount Kush." Mount Kush was a steep hill near the Sun Devils' practice facility (Camp Tontozona) near
Payson, Arizona with several large rocks,
cacti
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...
, and no shade from the Arizona sun. If a player especially needed discipline in Kush's opinion, that player would have to run up and down that hill numerous times.
[
] During his lengthy career in the desert, 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 five times. That success led to him accepting the head coaching job at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
on January 4, 1969. However, just five days later, Kush had a change of heart and returned to Arizona State.
Kush's return would begin a memorable era in Sun Devil football history with five consecutive
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas.
Due to most of ...
championships as the team won 50 of 56 games from 1969 to 1973. During this time, Arizona State won the
1970 Peach Bowl and the first three editions of the
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
. In 1974, the team dropped to 7–4, but bounced back with authority the following year when they went 12–0, capping the year with a thrilling 17–14 win over the
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divisi ...
in the Fiesta Bowl, a game in which Kush's son, Danny, kicked three field goals, including the game winner. A down year in 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 #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High ...
. In 1978, Kush's team once again finished 9–3, this time defeating
Rutgers in the
Garden State Bowl. That win would be one of the final highlights of Kush's tenure as controversy and scandal the next year toppled him from his head coaching position. 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
The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-1 ...
. 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 two death threats.
[Reid, Ron. "There's The Devil To Pay," ''Sports Illustrated'', October 29, 1979.](_blank)
/ref>
On October 13, 1979, Kush was fired as head coach for interfering with the school's internal 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. After the game ended, Kush was carried off the field by his team. The win gave him a 3–2 record on the season, but all three victories were later forfeited when it was determined that Arizona State had used ineligible players. After nearly two years, Kush would be found not liable in the case, but would be off the sidelines during 1980, the first time in more than 30 years that he had been away from the game. The case itself would have far-reaching implications for coaches everywhere, making them consider the different ways to best motivate and/or punish players. Future NFL players who played under Kush at Arizona State include Charley Taylor, Curley Culp
Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American football defensive lineman who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State Uni ...
, Danny White, Benny Malone, Mike Haynes, and John Jefferson and Steve Holden. Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...
also played a year of football at Arizona State for Kush on a football scholarship before switching to baseball.[
]
Darryl Rogers era (1980–1984)
Darryl Rogers replaced Kush 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
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
win and a No. 6 ranking in the final AP and Coaches' polls. Rogers accepted an offer to serve as head coach of the NFL's Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
and left ASU after the 1984 season.
John Cooper era (1985–1987)
John Cooper left his post as Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
head coach and became the head coach at Arizona State in 1985 where his teams played in three consecutive bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...
s, including the 1987 Rose Bowl
The 1987 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wo ...
, during his three-year tenure. Notably, he was just 0–2–1 against arch-rival Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
. He accepted the job as head coach at Ohio State on December 31, 1987. The 1986 team won the school's first Pacific-10 Championship and went on to defeat the Michigan Wolverines in the 1987 Rose Bowl
The 1987 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wo ...
.
Larry Marmie era (1988–1991)
ASU promoted Larry Marmie from defensive coordinator to head coach to replace Cooper. Marmie's tenure was marked by mediocrity and disappointment, with a 6–5 mark in 1988, a 6–4–1 record in 1989, a 4–7 campaign in 1990, and a 6–5 season in 1991. School administrators fired Marmie following the 1991 season, amidst fan impatience.
Bruce Snyder era (1992–2000)
Bruce Snyder
Bruce Fletcher Snyder (March 14, 1940 – April 13, 2009) was an American football player and coach. After playing college football at the University of Oregon in the early 1960s as a fullback, Snyder embarked on a coaching career. He was the h ...
left California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
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
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
. Snyder led ASU to four bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...
s 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
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
. In 1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...
, 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
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divisi ...
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
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Had they won, the Sun Devils would have likely won at least a share of the national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
, as they would have been the only undefeated major-conference team in the nation. For his efforts that season, Snyder won a number of national coaching awards, including the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
The American Heart Association (AHA) Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards are an annual awards banquet that is hosted each year in January, in Houston, Texas, by the AHA.For a list of American Heart Association offices, by state, go to: There are two awa ...
and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award. Snyder stepped down as ASU head coach following the 2000 season.
Dirk Koetter era (2001–2006)
Boise State
Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...
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, who was also the offensive play caller, the Sun Devils became known for a vertical passing attack. On November 26, 2006, Koetter was terminated as the head football coach. His final game was the 2006 Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve, a 41–24 loss.
Dennis Erickson era (2007–2011)
Seasoned coaching veteran Dennis Erickson
Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football league. He was also the head coach at the University of Idaho ( ...
left Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...
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
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingto ...
and Oregon State. In addition to Idaho, Erickson also had college head coaching tenures at Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...
and Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
, as well as in the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
with the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
and San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
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
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...
, a share of the Pacific-10 title, and a berth in the Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played in San Diego since 1978. San Diego County Credit Union has been the game's title sponsor since 2017, and the bowl has b ...
. 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
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has ...
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
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
rivalry games against Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
. In his final four seasons, Erickson was 21–28 overall and 14–22 in conference. After opening the 2011 season with a promising 6–2 record, Arizona State suffered four straight Pac-12 defeats in November to end the regular season, and Erickson was fired on November 28. He was allowed to coach in their bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...
on December 22, but ASU was soundly beaten 56–24 by Boise State
Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...
in the Maaco Bowl in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
for their fifth consecutive loss.
Todd Graham era (2012–2017)
Todd Graham
Michael Todd Graham (born December 5, 1964) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2020–2021). Graham has served as the head football coach at Rice ...
was announced as Arizona State University's head coach on December 14, 2011. Graham came to ASU after only one season at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, informing his players and assistant coaches of his decision to leave Pitt for ASU via text message. Graham also previously served as head coach at Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
for one season and Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
for four seasons.
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
The San Francisco Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game certified by the NCAA and played in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally named the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl during its first two editions from 2002 to 2003, it w ...
against the Navy Midshipmen
The Navy Midshipmen are the athletic teams that represent the United States Naval Academy. The academy sponsors 33 varsity sports teams and 12 club sport teams.[UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...]
and rival Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
. 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 Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose 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
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Mou ...
in the Cactus Bowl
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989.
Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then ...
. 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
The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl ...
loss to North Carolina State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
, 31–52. Graham and Arizona State agreed to part ways on November 26, 2017 following a 7–5 regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability ...
.
Herm Edwards era (2018–2022)
On December 3, 2017, longtime NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
coach and ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
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
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
. 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
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
and a Pac-12
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
South title. The Territorial Cup
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
was played at Arizona Stadium
Arizona Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the Southwestern United States, southwestern United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is the home field of the Arizona Wildcats footbal ...
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
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
In the Las Vegas Bowl
The Las Vegas Bowl is an NCAA Division I FBS annual post-season college football bowl game held in the Las Vegas area. First played in 1992, the bowl was originally held at the 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada before moving to ...
, 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 Cal or CAL may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty
* "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov
* ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
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
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
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
Victor Pete Thamel (born 1977) is an American sports reporter for ESPN. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated, and the New York Times.
Early life
Thamel was born in Ware, Massachusetts to Peter V. Thamel. He was the s ...
of Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. Be ...
. 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. During the 2021-2022 offseason, multiple coaches including Zak Hill
Zak Hill (born September 14, 1979) is an American football coach who was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University. He was also previously the offensive coordinator at Boise State University.
Early life and pl ...
and Antonio Pierce resigned. 17 players including the starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and All-American linebacker Eric Gentry, entered the transfer portal as a result of the investigation and NIL. On September 18th, 2022, Arizona State fired Edwards the day following a 30-21 loss to Eastern Michigan.
Conference affiliations
* Independent (1897–1930)
* Border Conference
The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961–62 season. Centered in the southwestern United Sta ...
(1931–1961)
* Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas.
Due to most of ...
(1962–1977)
* Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
(1978–present)
Championships
Conference championships
Arizona State has won 17 conference championships, seven in the Border Conference
The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961–62 season. Centered in the southwestern United Sta ...
, seven in the Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas.
Due to most of ...
, and three in the Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
.
† Co-champions
Division championships
Arizona State won the 2013 Pac-12 South division championship.
Unclaimed National Championships
Despite being the only team to finish undefeated in the 1975 season, ASU was ranked 2nd place in both the AP and Coaches rankings. However, on January 17, 1976 Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
Ranked ASU as the #1 team in College Football for the 1975 season. The National Championship Foundation also recognized ASU as the #1 ranked team in the nation. ASU was also ranked #1 in 1970 by the Poling System (1935-1984). http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf The unfortunate disadvantage that ASU had was that they did not come from a powerhouse conference. That being said, they opened the door for many universities from smaller conferences to compete in big bowls/national championships such as Boise State, UCF, Tulane, BYU and Utah.
Bowl games
Arizona State has played in 33 bowl games in its history. The Sun Devils have a bowl record of 15–17–1.
Head coaches
Home stadiums
The Sun Devils play their home games at Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Sun Devil Stadium was constructed in 1958 and originally held a capacity of 30,000.
On September 21, 1996, the playing surface was renamed Frank Kush Field after the long time ASU coach in a 19–0 upset of then top-ranked Nebraska.
Prior to the construction of Sun Devil Stadium, the Sun Devils played their home games at the following locations:
* 1897–1926 Normal Field
* 1927–1935 Irish Field
* 1936–1957 Goodwin Stadium
Culture
* Colors – Arizona State's traditional colors are maroon and gold.
* Songs – The fight songs for Arizona State are "Maroon and Gold
"Maroon & Gold" is the official fight song of Arizona State University. It was composed by former Director of Sun Devil Marching Band, Felix E. McKernan, in 1948.
Alma mater
"Alma Mater" was composed by former Music Professor and Director of Bul ...
" and " Go Go Devils". After a touchdown "Maroon and Gold" is played. After a field goal "Go Go Devils" is played. For big plays, a shortened version of either song is played.
* Mascot – Arizona State's mascot is " Sparky the Sun Devil". Sparky was adopted as ASU's mascot in 1946 following a vote was held to replace the Bulldog, the mascot at the time.
* Devil Walk – Prior to each home game, fans and the Sun Devil Marching Band welcomes the team inside Desert Financial Arena as they head to the football stadium. At the conclusion of the event, the marching band performs a short concert.
* Marching Band – (see Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band)
* Stomp the Bus – The entrance video of the Sun Devils featuring a giant Sparky crushing the opposing team's bus underfoot
Arizona State fields a more-than-300-member marching band that performs at all home football games, bowl games, and the rivalry game with the University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. ...
. In addition to halftime shows and stand tunes, the Sun Devil Marching Band always play the Arizona State fight songs and the Alma Mater.
Rivalries
Arizona
Arizona State's longest and most intense rivalry is with the University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. ...
. The football game between the schools is nicknamed The Duel in the Desert, and the winner of the game receives the Territorial Cup. Arizona State won the first matchup in 1899 by a score of 11–2. Arizona holds the all-time series lead with a record of 49–45–1.
Since becoming a university in 1958, Arizona State has the overall lead in the rivalry series with a record of 31–24–1. Since ASU and Arizona became Pac-12 Conference members in 1978, Arizona leads the series 19–16–1. In recent contests, an unranked Sun Devils team upset a ranked Arizona Wildcats team 30–29 in Tucson in 2010. After a strong start in 2011, ASU ended the season with a 31–27 loss to Arizona in Tempe. The Sun Devils finished the 2012 season with a win over the No. 24 ranked Wildcats in Tucson by a score of 41–34. In 2013, the No. 13 ranked Sun Devils beat the Wildcats 58–21 in Tempe. In 2014, the Wildcats hosted the game and beat the Sun Devils 42–35 to claim the Pac-12 South championship.
Practice facilities
Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields
Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields, located on Sixth Street and Rural Road, is normally where Sun Devil football team practices when weather permits.
Camp Tontozona
An Arizona State University property, is a camp just outside Payson created by former legendary coach Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
was used as a bonding place for his players. Tontozona has marked the unofficial start of the Sun Devils' seasons from 1960–2008. Due to the knack of losing practices to rainouts, short and torn up fields leading to excessive injuries, and travel costs, the team decided to move camp back to Tempe campus with the arrival of the Devil Dome. After a 4-year absence the Sun Devils returned to Camp Tontozona starting in Aug 2012. The team was able to make the return after a short fund raising effort by fans and alumni brought in over $160,000.
Verde Dickey Dome
Formerly opened as Devil Dome and nicknamed,"The Bubble", $8.4 million practice facility broke ground on May 15, 2008 to provide a climate controlled space for the Sun Devil football team, Sun Devil Marching Band, ASU Intramurals and for other athletic department events. Before its full completion and turn over from the contractor to the university on the night of August 28, 2008 a powerful storm brought it down. The Bubble was re-inflated early October and was fully repaired for use in July 2009. During the 2009 season the facility was renamed and dedicated to generous donor Dr. Verde Dickey as the Verde Dickey Center, to not only commemorate his donation for the facility but also his donations to Sun Devil Marching Band and projects such as renovation of locker rooms in Wells Fargo Arena and Sun Devil Stadium, Weatherup Basketball Center, The Athletes Performance Center, John Spini Gymnastics Center, and wrestling practice facility.
All-Americans
* 1931
: Norris Steverson
* 1950
:Wilford White
Wilford Parley "Whizzer" White (September 26, 1928 – August 1, 2013) was an American football halfback in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He ...
* 1965
: Ben Hawkins
* 1967
:Curley Culp
Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American football defensive lineman who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State Uni ...
* 1968
: Ron Pritchard †
* 1969
:Art Malone
Arthur Malone (June 3, 1936 – March 29, 2013; Tampa, Florida) was an American race car driver who was successful in both drag racing and American open-wheel car racing, an unusual combination of skills.
Career
Malone is known primarily ...
* 1970
: J. D. Hill
: Gary Venturo
:Windlan Hall
Windlan Edsel Hall (born March 11, 1950) is a former American football cornerback in the NFL. He played for the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Arizona State University and wa ...
: Mike Tomco
* 1971
:Windlan Hall
Windlan Edsel Hall (born March 11, 1950) is a former American football cornerback in the NFL. He played for the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Arizona State University and wa ...
: Junior Ah You
:Woody Green
Woodrow Green, Jr. (born June 20, 1951) is a former American football running back who played for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Green was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft. He is an al ...
* 1972
:Woody Green †
: Steve Holden
* 1973
:Woody Green †
: Danny White
* 1974
:Bob Breunig
Robert Paul Breunig (born July 4, 1953) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Arizona State University.
Early years
Breunig attended Alhambra High School i ...
:John Houser
:Freddie Williams
:Clifton Alapa
Clifton Alapa is a former Canadian Football League defensive lineman and Grey Cup champion.
Alapa was born in Kahuku, Hawaii, the hometown of CFL all-star Junior Ah You. They are both of Samoan descent, went to the same university and were fr ...
: Kory Schuknecht
: Mike Haynes
* 1975
: Mike Haynes †
: Larry Gordon
: John Jefferson
:Freddie Williams
: Willie Scroggins
: Randy Moore
: Mike Martinez
* 1976
: John Harris
* 1977
: George Fadok
: Al Harris
:John Harris
: John Jefferson †
: Tim Peterson
: Dennis Sproul
* 1978
:Al Harris ‡
* 1979
: Bob Kohrs
: Mark Malone
* 1980
: John Mistler
:Willie Gittens
Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
* Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scr ...
: Vernon Maxwell
: Mike Richardson
* 1981
: Mike Black
: Mike Pagel
: Dan Mackie
: Vernon Maxwell
:John Meyer
: Mike Richardson †
:Gerald Riggs
Gerald Antonio Riggs (born November 6, 1960) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982 to 1988 and the Washington Redskins from 1989 to 1991.
Before his NFL career, he at ...
:Luis Zendejas
Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961) is a Mexican former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Arena Foot ...
* 1982
: Mike Black
: Jim Jeffcoat
: Vernon Maxwell
: Mike Richardson †
:Luis Zendejas
Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961) is a Mexican former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Arena Foot ...
†
* 1983
:David Fulcher
David Dwayne Fulcher (born September 28, 1964) is a former American football safety who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). His second cousin's son is former Denver Broncos safety Su'a ...
* 1984
:Doug Allen
Doug Allen (born February 22, 1956) is an American underground cartoonist, illustrator, and musician. Best known for his long-running comic strip ''Steven'', Allen has over the years collaborated with long-time friend Gary Leib on music, anima ...
: Darryl Clack
:David Fulcher †
: Tom Magazzeni
:Jim Meyer
James David Meyer (born June 9, 1963) is a former offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Meyer played for the Green Bay Packers during the 1987 NFL season. He had previously been drafted in the seventh round of the 1986 NFL Dra ...
: Dan Saleaumua
:Mark Shupe
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fi ...
:Luis Zendejas
Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961) is a Mexican former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Arena Foot ...
* 1985
: Greg Battle
: Aaron Cox
: David Fonoti
:David Fulcher †
: Dan Saleaumua
: Mike Schuh
:Scott Stephen
Scott Dewitt Stephen (born June 18, 1964 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...
* 1986
: Aaron Cox
: Jeff Gallimore
: Darryl Harris
: Skip McClendon
: Randall McDaniel
: Dan Saleaumua
:Scott Stephen
Scott Dewitt Stephen (born June 18, 1964 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...
: Danny Villa †
: Channing Williams
: Darren Willis
* 1987
: Eric Allen
:Greg Clark
Gregory David Clark (born 28 August 1967) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 7 July 2022 to 6 September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as Member of ...
: Aaron Cox
: Darryl Harris
: Randall McDaniel †
: Shawn Patterson
* 1988
: Mark Tingstad
* 1989
: Nathan LaDuke
:Ron Fair
Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several art ...
* 1990
: Nathan LaDuke
* 1992
: Shante Carver
:Brett Wallerstedt
Brett Robert Wallerstedt (born November 24, 1970) is a former American football linebacker. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals in 1993, the Cincinnati Bengals from 1994 to 1995 and for th ...
* 1993
: Shante Carver
* 1995
: Juan Roque
: Jake Plummer
* 1996
: Terry Battle
: Jake Plummer
: Keith Poole
:Derrick Rodgers
Derrick Andre Rodgers (born October 14, 1971) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rodgers played college fo ...
: Juan Roque †
* 1997
: Ryan Kealy
: Victor Leyva
: Kyle Murphey
: Grey Ruegamer
:Jeremy Staat
Jeremy Ray Staat (born October 10, 1976) is a former American football defensive lineman and offensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998 and the St. Louis Rams for two games in 2003. He also played for the Los Angeles Avenge ...
:Pat Tillman
Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the afterm ...
* 1998
: Steven Baker
: Todd Heap
: Scott Peters
:J.R. Redmond
Joseph Robert Redmond (born September 28, 1977) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders, and won Super Bowl XXXVI as a member of the Patriots ov ...
: Grey Ruegamer
* 1999
: Marvel Smith
: Todd Heap
* 2000
: Adam Archuleta
: Todd Heap
: Terrell Suggs
* 2001
: Levi Jones
:Shaun McDonald
Shaun Terrance McDonald (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.
McDonald has also played ...
: Jason Shivers
: Terrell Suggs
* 2002
:Shaun McDonald
Shaun Terrance McDonald (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.
McDonald has also played ...
: Terrell Suggs ‡
: Chaz White
* 2004
: Derek Hagan
: Chris MacDonald
: Zach Miller
* 2005
:Terry Richardson
Terrence Richardson (born August 14, 1965) is an American fashion and portrait photographer. He has shot advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work for mag ...
: Derek Hagan
:Rudy Carpenter
Rudy Carpenter (born April 15, 1986) is a former professional gridiron football quarterback. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Arizona State.
Early years
Carpenter led Westlake ...
* 2006
: Dexter Davis
:Travis Goethel
Travis Peter Goethel (born July 27, 1987) is a former American football linebacker He was drafted in the sixth round, (190th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Arizona State.
High school
Goethel attended Vista High ...
: Zach Miller †
* 2007
:Omar Bolden
Omar Bolden (born December 20, 1988) is a former American football safety. He played college football for Arizona State University and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
High school career
Bolden attend ...
:Robert James Robert James may refer to:
*Robert James (actor) (1924–2004), Scottish actor
*Robert James (businessman) (died 1983), American founder of Raymond James Financial
* Robert James (defensive back) (born 1947), played in the National Football League, ...
: Thomas Weber †
* 2012
:Will Sutton
William Sutton (born October 3, 1991) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.
As a member of the 2012 team, Su ...
†
* 2013
:Will Sutton
* 2014
: Jaelen Strong
* 2016
: Zane Gonzalez ‡
† Consensus All-Americans
‡ Unanimous All-Americans
College Football Hall of Fame Members
Pro football Hall of Fame Members
Other notable players
* Junior Ah You – Retired CFL Hall of Fame Defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
* Brandon Aiyuk – Current NFL Wide receiver and return specialist
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...
for the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
* Eric Allen – Retired NFL Cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...
* Kalen Ballage RB, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
* Ron Brown
Ronald Harmon Brown (August 1, 1941 – April 3, 1996) was an American politician. He served as the United States Secretary of Commerce during the first term of President Bill Clinton. Prior to this he was chairman of the Democratic National Co ...
– Retired NFL Wide receiver
* Dave Buchanan – Retired CFL all-star Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
* Vontaze Burfict LB, free agent
* Shante Carver – Retired NFL Defensive end ASU Hall Of Fame
* Aaron Cox – Retired NFL Wide receiver
* Ken Dyer – AFL and NFL player
* George Flint – Retired AFL Guard
* David Fulcher
David Dwayne Fulcher (born September 28, 1964) is a former American football safety who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). His second cousin's son is former Denver Broncos safety Su'a ...
– Retired NFL Defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
* Mark Gastineau – Retired NFL Defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
* John F. Goodman
John Floyd Goodman (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps three-star general. He began his military service with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War — during which he earned the Soldier's Medal, the Bronze Star with ...
– Retired United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
; Former NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Larry Gordon – Retired NFL Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
* Bruce Hardy – Retired NFL Tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
* N'Keal Harry – Current NFL wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
* James Hood – Retired NFL CFL Wide receiver
* Bernard Henry – Retired NFL Wide receiver
* Jim Jeffcoat – Retired NFL Defensive tackle
* John Jefferson – Retired NFL Wide receiver
* Paul Justin – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Kyle Kingsbury – former Defensive tackle, a Mixed Martial Artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
under contract as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
* Art Malone
Arthur Malone (June 3, 1936 – March 29, 2013; Tampa, Florida) was an American race car driver who was successful in both drag racing and American open-wheel car racing, an unusual combination of skills.
Career
Malone is known primarily ...
– Retired NFL Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
* Benny Malone – Retired NFL Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
* Mark Malone – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Isaiah Mustafa – former NFL Wide receiver, best known for his appearance on Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian ...
and the Old Spice
Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, Shower gel, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.
Old Spice was launched as Early American Old ...
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* Brock Osweiler – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Mike Pagel – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Jake Plummer – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Damarious Randall – Current free agent, former NFL Defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divi ...
* J.R. Redmond
Joseph Robert Redmond (born September 28, 1977) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders, and won Super Bowl XXXVI as a member of the Patriots ov ...
– Retired NFL Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
* Mike Richardson – Retired NFL Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly di ...
* Gerald Riggs
Gerald Antonio Riggs (born November 6, 1960) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982 to 1988 and the Washington Redskins from 1989 to 1991.
Before his NFL career, he at ...
– Retired NFL Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
* Derrick Rodgers
Derrick Andre Rodgers (born October 14, 1971) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rodgers played college fo ...
– Retired NFL Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
* Marvel Smith – Retired NFL Offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
* Phillipi Sparks – Retired NFL Defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
* Jeremy Staat
Jeremy Ray Staat (born October 10, 1976) is a former American football defensive lineman and offensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998 and the St. Louis Rams for two games in 2003. He also played for the Los Angeles Avenge ...
– former NFL Defensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
, served in the Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
* Terrell Suggs – current free agent NFL Outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pla ...
, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
and Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...
* Shawn Swayda
Shawn Gerald Swayda (born September 4, 1974) is a former American football defensive end who played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 1997 N ...
– former NFL Defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
* Pat Tillman
Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the afterm ...
– former NFL Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly di ...
, killed by Friendly fire
In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while e ...
while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom
* Jeff Van Raaphorst – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
* Danny White – Retired NFL Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Darren Woodson – Retired NFL Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly di ...
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of February 6, 2022.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arizona State Sun Devils Football
American football teams established in 1897
1897 establishments in Arizona Territory