Arizona State Coaching Search:
Arizona State broke off contract negotiations yesterday with SMU head coach June Jones. This is after they had talks with Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin (through his agent) last week and talks broke down. ASU AD Lisa Love and her search committee are definitely under the microscope. It appears as if they will be heading in a different direction with their search and possibly going after some young, energetic coaching prospects. Sources close to the situation say that there is a contingent pushing for Dan Cozzetto (OL Coach Washington) to get the job. Cozzetto was OC/OL coach for eight seasons at ASU from 1992-1999 and also worked under Dennis Erickson in 2008. The administration is unlikely to consider Cozzetto due to his ties with recently fired head coach Dennis Erickson (coached under Erickson for 5 seasons). Here are a few names that are considered the top choices on Arizona State’s reshuffled board:
Justin Wilcox, DC Tennessee
· Oregon native and played safety for Oregon
· Spent most of his coaching career at Boise State, but also spent three seasons as LB coach at California
· Considered top young defensive mind in college football who just completed his second season as DC at Tennessee
· Most Boise State coaches have respect of the entire west coach coaching community and Wilcox appears to be the best fit candidate to fit ASU’s newly found criteria
Mark Helfrich, OC/QB Oregon
· Oregon native who worked under Dirk Koetter at ASU for five seasons
· Helfrich worked at Boise State (1998-2000), Arizona State (2001-2005) under Koetter then from 2006-2008 he was Dan Hawkins OC/QB coach at Colorado before accepting the OC/QB coaching job under Chip Kelly at Oregon in 2009.
· Helfrich is considered one of the best up and coming offensive minds in college football at the present moment
· With his ties to the Arizona State program and his reputation of putting together high powered offenses, look for Arizona State to pursue Helfrich
Jim McElwain, OC/QB Alabama
· McElwain backed out of deal making him Memphis’ new head coach yesterday while its only speculation to the reason he backed out…could he be targeting a job closer to his home state of Washington?
· McElwain has a tremendous amount of respect around college football as an excellent recruiter and offensive mind
· Anyone that works under Nick Saban for a lengthy period of time knows how to work and put together a successful football program.
· McElwain worked under John L. Smith at Louisville (2000-2002) and Michigan State (2003-2005) before jumping to the NFL in 2006 as QB coach for Oakland Raiders. He returned to the college game in 2007 as OC/QB coach at Fresno State before accepting the OC/QB Coach job under Saban in 2008.
Ron English, Head Coach Eastern Michigan
· English is a California native who played safety at California from 1987-1990.
· English has spent seven seasons at Arizona State including two years as GA and five coaching either the CB’s or S’.
· What a tremendous job he has done with the Eastern Michigan program getting them six wins this season (the most since 1995).
· English would take the Arizona State job in a heartbeat and could give Arizona State the new identity and direction that they desperately need
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