Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils
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djp73
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Count
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils
props to Ole Miss for making it all the way to the natty
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redsox907
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 6051
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils



Ra'Shaad Samples Hired As Sun Devils' Offensive Coordinator
Samples is one of many coaches hired on the offensive side of the ball for Arizona State
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Coach Hiring Update
By Diego Alfaro
Published: January 4th, 2027
Charlie Weis Jr.'s tenure in Baton Rouge ended Friday in a wild 55-52 overtime loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl and the newly minted Arizona State head coach wasted little time beginning to assemble his staff.
Ra'Shaad Samples was one of three finalists for the Arizona State head coaching job that ultimately went to Weis Jr., but he impressed AD Graham Rossini enough that the athletic director made a "spirited" pitch to Weis Jr. to explore the option of adding Samples as the new offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
"Ra'Shaad and I never crossed paths in the traditional sense, but he's always been someone whose name carried weight in offensive circles," acknowledged Weis Jr. at a press conference announcing the hire on Monday.
"He is an exceptional recruiter, I learned that the hard way last year as we battled for recruits while he was with Oregon and I was with LSU, and I believe he has untapped potential scheming his own offense."
When asked how much control he would exert over the offense as head coach, Weis Jr. was quick to point out the need for partnership.
"One thing I learned from Lane[Kiffin] was you can't do it all yourself. I picked his brain a lot throughout the years and even more so over the past few weeks. What he succeeded with as a first-time head coach all those years ago, what he wished he'd done differently."
"The biggest regret he had was trying to be the 'whiz kid' on offense and manage a whole team. 'Put your mark on it, but don't control it,' he advised. And that's what we're going to do. Teamwork makes the dream work."
You look at what Weis Jr. accomplished while remaining as the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss when Kiffin left for LSU and you can see Kiffin practiced what he preached. He let Weis Jr. control the offense, and it showed. The fact he's recognizing that fatal flaw many 'offensive gurus' have and is taking steps to ensure he doesn't fall into the same pitfall shows me all I need to know about how he's approaching this job.
He isn't out here trying to prove he belongs. He knows he does. Now, he just has to get the results.
Weis Jr. also brought in a new quarterback coach, hiring former Notre Dame quarterback turned offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who spent the last season with the Atlanta Falcons. Rees still has two games remaining with the Falcons, then intends to join the ASU staff as a co-offensive coordinator alongside Samples and the quarterback coach.
"Obviously, Tommy and I have crossed paths numerous times. He's gifted, but he also has a unique perspective from being as traveled as he is. I look forward to the input he will bring to the offense."
While Weis Jr. hand selected his two co-offensive coordinators, he opted for continuity for the wide receivers, tight end, and offensive line coaches, retaining Hines Ward, Jason Mohns, and Saga Tuitele for the same positions, respectively.
According to various reports the Sun Devils leadership, along with Weis Jr. himself, are actively searching for a 'seasoned' defensive coordinator, preferably with head coaching experience, to continue providing ample support for the first-year head coach.
With Weis Jr. overseeing an offensive game plan crafted by Samples and Rees, the Sun Devils offensive attack figures to remain as explosive as ever going into a new era.
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redsox907
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils



Josh Aldridge Hired From USF As New Defensive Coordinator
The current USF DC isn't the flashiest hire, but his position coaches may be
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Coach Hiring Update
By Diego Alfaro
Published: January 5th, 2027
On Tuesday Arizona State University announced that they had signed Josh Aldridge as their newest defensive coordinator, snagging the former Liberty and Auburn assistant from Brian Hartline's staff after one season.
Those that know of Aldridge can confirm: he's the real deal. Across four different stops—Liberty, Auburn, East Carolina, and now South Florida—he not only improved the defenses he coached, but ranked in the upper half of the nation in many, if not most, defensive categories. His addition to Brian Hartline's staff last year was considered a steal for the first time head coach, and now Weis Jr. has made the same prudent move.
"I'm excited, to say the least," admitted Aldridge when the news broke. "I loved my short time here with South Florida, but the Big XII is a different animal. It's well known as an offensive first conference, so I'm excited to get in there and go up against some of the best college football has to offer."
The talk surrounding the Arizona State defensive staff wont' be about Josh Aldridge's qualities, which there are many, but rather the star-studded positional coaching staff.
Former Arizona State coach Antonio Pierce returns to Tempe, marking his first coaching stop since being dismissed as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach three years ago.
"This is full circle for me, in many ways," remarked Pierce when reached for comment on his hire. "I had four great years in Tempe, loved everything about the program. But when you get that call to go to the big leagues, you've got to take that leap. I had a lot of fun in Las Vegas. Obviously, you wish things ended differently. But I always said, if I had the opportunity to go back to Tempe, I'd be grateful."
Joining Pierce in Tempe are several other notable position coaches, including longtime Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach, who was released by the program after the firing of Kalen DeBoer in December.
"Freddie's reputation speaks for itself," praised Weis Jr. when asked about the hire, "That's a guy who's coached more NFL talent than some programs have ever been graced with. He's the type of hire who not only boosts your program on the field, but his reputation brings recruits in. He's just a guy any program would be lucky to have in house."
Another strong recruiter in Patrick Surtain Sr. was added to the staff as well. Surtain Sr., the father of Broncos star Patrick Surtain II, was once a highly regarded recruiter and up-and-coming defensive coach with the Florida State Seminoles. But when Mike Norvell made sweeping changes to the staff, Surtain was caught in the crossfire. Since then, he's stepped away from coaching, until now.
"Excited. I've been away from the game for too long," said Surtain Sr., "But don't think that means I've gone soft. I've been watching and waiting for my opportunity."
And last but not least, Weis Jr. tapped wide receiver coach Hines Ward to pull his former teammate, Joey Porter Sr., back into the coaching ranks down in the desert.
Ward and Porter weren't only teammates together in Pittsburgh, but also coached on the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023. Since that final stint, Porter Sr. has also stayed out of the limelight, but similar to Surtain, is eager to get back into the game he loves.
You take a look at the staff that Charlie Weis Jr. has assembled and I know what you're thinking. This looks like Colorado and Coach Prime all over again.
The difference? Weis Jr. hired pros, but pros that also have coaching experience. Warren Sapp, Marshall Faulk, Vonn Bell. Those are all guys that played in the pros, and Deion banked on them being able to distribute that wealth to others.
Every single member of Weis Jr.'s coaching staff has coached previously, most of them for five or more years. That's different than just grabbing notable names out of a hat. Those are names that bring experience.
And for a defense that finished in the bottom of the nation in most statistics, regardless of the thrilling interception to clinch the Liberty Bowl, that is encouraging to say the least.
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Count
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils
good hires to round out the staff. Surtain was a good coach and recruiter with FSU, so makes sense as to why we fired him
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 6051
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 6051
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils



Arizona State Sun Devils 2026 Season Statistics
Arizona State Sun Devils 2026 Statistics (8-5)Passing Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Fette | QB | 9 | 149/254 | 1,868 | 22 | 13 | |
| Cutter Boley | QB | 8 | 131/199 | 1,263 | 16 | 11 | |
| Mikey Keene | QB | 2 | 22/34 | 303 | 3 | 1 |
Rushing Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | YPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyson Brown | HB | 13 | 128 | 704 | 6.2 | 5 | 61.1 |
| Demarius Robinson | HB | 13 | 112 | 660 | 5.9 | 5 | 50.8 |
| Cardae Mack | HB | 13 | 64 | 422 | 6.6 | 5 | 32.5 |
| Jason Brown Jr | HB | 13 | 24 | 149 | 6.2 | 1 | 11.5 |
Receiving Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | YPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omarion Miller | WR | 13 | 55 | 809 | 14.7 | 11 | 62.2 |
| Kyson Brown | HB | 13 | 56 | 517 | 9.2 | 5 | 39.8 |
| Reed Harris | WR | 13 | 38 | 509 | 13.4 | 7 | 39.2 |
| Raiden Vines-Bright | WR | 13 | 52 | 507 | 9.8 | 7 | 39.0 |
| Khamari Anderson | TE | 13 | 36 | 490 | 12.8 | 5 | 35.4 |
| Demarius Robinson | HB | 13 | 30 | 325 | 10.9 | 1 | 25.1 |
| Jalen Moss | WR | 13 | 20 | 296 | 14.3 | 1 | 22.0 |
| AJ Ia | TE | 13 | 9 | 80 | 8.9 | 2 | 6.2 |
| Cardae Mack | HB | 13 | 3 | 52 | 14.0 | 1 | 3.2 |
Defense Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | TACK | TFL | SACK | INT | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyrick Rawls | SS | 13 | 118 | 12 | 0.5 | 2 | 4/1 |
| Adrian Wilson | FS | 13 | 102 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3/2 |
| Owen Long | MLB | 12 | 88 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3/1 |
| Martell Hughes | LB | 13 | 87 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3/1 |
| Rodney Bimage Jr | CB | 13 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1/1 |
| Ashton Stamps | CB | 13 | 61 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0/2 |
| Jessiah McGrew | FS | 13 | 48 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0/0 |
| Montana Warren | SS | 13 | 47 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 |
| Zyrus Fiaseu | LB | 13 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 |
| Emar'rion Winston | DE | 13 | 31 | 18 | 9.5 | 0 | 1/1 |
| Zac Swanson | DT | 13 | 28 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1/1 |
| CJ Fite | DT | 13 | 25 | 12 | 5.5 | 0 | 0/1 |
| Jalen Thompson | DE | 13 | 19 | 10 | 2.5 | 0 | 0/0 |
| Clayton Smith | DE | 12 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0/0 |
Kicking Leaders
| Player | Pos | GP | FGM/A | FG% | XPM/A | PTS | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Tucker | K | 13 | 13/17 | 76 | 45 | 46 | 45 |
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 6051
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils


Full 2026 Coaching Carousel
| Kyle Whittingham | Michigan | N/A | Retired |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | Alabama | Hired |
| Kalen Deboer | Alabama | Michigan | Fired |
| Kenny Dillingham | Arizona State | USC | Hired |
| Shane Beamer | South Carolina | Georgia Tech | Hired |
| Charlie Weis Jr | LSU OC | Arizona State | Hired |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | Clemson | Fired |
| Brent Key | Georgia Tech | Mississippi State | Fired |
| Chuck Lea | Vanderbilt | South Caroina | Hired |
| Jamey Chadwell | Liberty | Purdue | Hired |
| Greg Schiano | Rutgers | North Carolina | Hired |
| Lance Leipold | Kansas | N/A | Retired |
| Clay Helton | Georgia Southern | Rice | Hired |
| Scott Satterfield | Cincinnati | Baylor | Fired |
| Bill Belichick | North Carolina | Cincinnati | Fired |
| Jeff Lebby | Mississippi State | Kansas | Fired |
| Jiim Mora Jr | Colorado State | N/A | Retired |
| Cris Creighton | Eastern Michigan | Washington State | Hired |
| Gary Patterson | USC DC | Vanderbilt | Hired |
| Dave Aranda | Baylor | Rutgers | Fired |
| Kirby Moore | Washigton State | Hawaii | Fired |
| Timmy Chang | Hawaii | N/A | Fired |
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Count
- Posts: 2416
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils
gotta cut down on them INTs


I am kind of surprised he hasn't latched on anywhere else yet for as regarded as he was in recruiting