The fallout from the Todd Graham hire has begun, as offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has left ASU for a job at UCLA. According to CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman, it’s another good hire for Jim Mora. Mazzone has been in Tempe since 2010, and oversaw an offense that scored 33.9 points per game, which ranked 25th […]
Todd Graham informed his players, via a text message to his assistant athletic director, that he was leaving for Tempe. The Arizona State job will be Graham’s fourth stop since 2006, as he coached at Rice in 2006, Tulsa from 2007-2010 and Pittsburgh in 2011. A vagabond, of sorts, there are concerns about his history […]
Included in the whirlwind of news surrounding Todd Graham leaving the University of Pittsburgh to accept the job at Arizona State, it was also learned that Graham notified his team that he was leaving via text message. CBS Pittsburgh printed the text, the body of which is included below: I have resigned my position at […]
Arizona State’s search for a new football coach finally came to an end Wednesday, as multiple reports say Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham is heading to Tempe. “Criteria for our head coach was established, and the word that was at the forefront of discussions was `energy’…energy towards promoting our program in the community and with former […]
On November 29th Arizona State Vice President of Athletics Lisa Love told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo that it was her job to find the school’s next football coach. On December 14th, Arizona Sports 620’s Paul Calvisi tweeted that Love and COO Steve Patterson’s influence on the decision is now, well, relatively nil. “I’m […]
PHOENIX – The Arizona Cardinals defense looked lost to start the system as the players struggled to adapt and learn a new system. Things have changed during the season. Back in playoff contention after winning five of their last six games led by a defense that has turned from the team’s weakness into its strength. […]
There hasn’t been much good news around the Arizona State football program in the last couple of months, but there was a glimmer of positivity on Tuesday. Junior do-everything player Jamal Miles received 4th Team All-American honors as a kick returner from PhilSteele.com. Miles ranked 2nd in the Pac-12 in kickoff returns, averaging 26.27 per […]
Nobody is saying new D-back Trevor Cahill is the next Brandon Webb. Because, after all, that would mean the 23-year-old starts 199 games for his new team, posting a record of 87-62 with a 3.27 ERA. Oh, and a Cy Young award, too. However, the right-hander is drawing comparisons to the former D-backs ace because […]
Jim L. Mora was formally introduced as the new head coach at UCLA on Tuesday afternoon. One of the first tasks Mora will be faced with is putting together a staff, and he’s reportedly looking to the East to start the ball rolling. Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times tweeted on Tuesday that ASU […]
Almost four weeks will have passed when ASU plays its next game, in the Las Vegas Bowl against Boise State. The Sun Devils have not played since suffering their fourth straight defeat, a 47-38 decision to CAL the night after Thanksgiving. Three days later the decision was made to fire head coach Dennis Erickson. The […]
If it’s not the first thing a new player says upon his arrival in Phoenix, then it’s most certainly the second thing out of their mouth. It was for Shannon Brown. “Get the chance to play with Steve Nash, one of the best guys to ever do it as far as giving the ball up.” […]
There are certain stories in Phoenix that just won’t go away. Immigration controversy, the plight of the Phoenix Coyotes and rumors surrounding the future of Suns’ point guard Steve Nash have been prevalent for years. With the Suns heading into the 2011-12 season without lofty expectations, the rumors about trading Nash aren’t going anywhere, especially […]
Arizona State wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad is about to play in his final game for the Sun Devils, though there’s a chance he won’t be the last member of his family to wear maroon and gold. Aaron’s dad Robin is currently the head coach for the University of Montana, but would he be be a […]
It sounds simple. “You definitely want to keep the opposition’s score under yours.” The execution is not. “This stuff is not easy. Scoring is fun. Playing defense is hard.” New Suns assistant Elston Turner is here to try to make it a little easier with concepts proven to be successful over his 14 years as […]
The Phoenix Suns added a couple players Tuesday while saying goodbye to another, as the team said hello to Ronnie Price while saying goodbye to Zabian Dowdell. A six-year NBA veteran, Price owns career averages of 3.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Phoenix will be his third NBA stop after stints with […]
We know the Arizona Cardinals themselves aren’t focused on making a push for the playoffs. Heck, head coach Ken Whisenhunt said so himself on Monday. But that doesn’t mean I can’t look ahead to the Cardinals’ playoff possibilities, right? Seattle’s win over the St. Louis Rams on Monday night didn’t do the Cardinals any favors. […]
Coaching change is in the air. Down south, at that institution folks in Tempe don’t like to talk about, there was a coaching change with former Michigan and West Virginia head man Rich Rodriguez taking over for the deposed Mike Stoops. Now, there’s unrest at Arizona State as well. The Sun Devils stumbled to a […]
PHOENIX – Arizona Diamondback pitchers Joe Saunders and Micah Owings may have thrown their last pitches for the organization. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the team non-tendered both pitchers Monday making them free agents. It is believed that the organization will still try to re-sign both, but they will now be competing with the rest […]
In a typical year an 82-game NBA season is played out over 170 days. This, however, is not a typical year. The Suns will play 66 games in 122 days, starting the day after Christmas. “You’ve got to embrace (the schedule) and just try to do the best you can to take care of yourself,” […]
It was just another day in the office for Larry Fitzgerald Sunday against the 49ers. His seven catches for 149 yards pushed him over the 1,000 yard mark for sixth time in his career, a new franchise record. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt knows with Fitz, it’s the intangibles that make him special. “You’re almost running […]
According to numerous reports on Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed veteran right-handed reliever Takashi Saito to a one-year contract. Saito spent 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers, and pitched in 30 games, posting a 4-2 record with an ERA of 2.03. The 41-year-old has pitched six seasons in the big leagues after a distinguished career […]
This just in: Larry Fitzgerald is pretty good. The Cardinal continued his impressive 2011 with seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the 49ers, putting his season totals at 62 receptions for 1,092 yards and seven scores. All this with shaky QB play and defenses doing everything they can to […]
The NBA season begins in 14 days. The first pre-season game is in eight days. Suns training camp is now in its third day. In other words, there isn’t a lot of time to get ready. With the season not starting on time because of the lockout, teams are re-evaluating what they had hoped to […]
It seems almost surreal that on December 12th, there is even a slight connection between the Arizona Cardinals and the word ‘playoffs’, but there is. With five wins in their last six games, the Cardinals are in the NFC playoff picture at 6-7 and three games remaining on their schedule. But wisely, head coach Ken […]
Game Show – “A Brand New…Game Ball” ‘Tis the season, right? Not the NFL season, but the season where it’s better to give than to receive. With that in mind, the game ball from the Cards win against the 49ers (drum roll) went to… Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Ding. In the postgame locker room, the […]
There’s normally not a lot of interest in 39-year-old free agents in the National Basketball Association. Consider Grant Hill an exception to that “rule”. Hill was pursued by several teams, including contenders like the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. But in the end, Hill opted to stay in Phoenix […]
The staff of ArizonaSports.com has compiled their list of the top 25 Arizona sports stories of the year 2011. We’ll be unveiling them over the next couple of weeks, all leading up to the top story of 2011. Coming out of a lengthy labor stoppage, the Arizona Cardinals had a long list of priorities to […]
When the Arizona Cardinals took a 7-6 lead over the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter Sunday, they led their rival for the first time since Week 1 of the 2009 season. San Francisco’s dominance spanned 17 quarters and nearly three seasons, but Arizona finally broke through and not only took the lead, but […]
When we last saw John Skelton the Arizona Cardinals had improved to 4-7, with the QB having led the team to three wins in four games. Kevin Kolb’s turf toe healed, though, and the second-year pro was sent back to the bench. Sunday against the 49ers his number was called again, and the Fordham product […]
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the Arizona Cardinals defense is playing at an exceptionally high level. The San Francisco 49ers had the ball 14 times Sunday, and they gained more than 20 yards on a drive five times, and gained a total of 26 yards in the fourth quarter. That’ll do, defense. “The […]
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