Graham Rossini talks decision to hire Dave Hakstol as new hockey coach, ASU athletics

It’s a big weekend for Arizona State athletics. The Sun Devils have a new hockey coach who will be behind the bench for the first time Friday at UMass-Lowell. ASU football travels to Lubbock to face No. 10 Texas Tech. Men’s basketball has a new regime and the season starts just around the corner, and ASU volleyball faces rival Arizona Thursday night.

Athletic director Graham Rossini chatted with Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday about the Sun Devils’ big weekend.

From why new hockey coach Dave Hakstol wanted to come to ASU and the type of rivalry brewing between the Sun Devils and Red Raiders, to the excitement surrounding Randy Bennett’s squad and the noise JJ Van Niel’s team is making in college volleyball, here’s everything Rossini had to say:

Graham Rossini’s Q & A with Burns & Gambo

Gambo: I know you cast the net wide and far to get the best coach you could. Why did you settle on (Dave) Hakstol?

Rossini: Yeah, once we got a sense that Dave Hakstol was available and interested in coming to ASU and pursuing the opportunity, it just made a lot of sense given his experience (and) given the opportunity to bring in somebody that’s had such high success at the collegiate level. You mentioned those seven frozen fours in his time in North Dakota, and that earned him a chance to coach at the highest level of the sport in the NHL.

He took two organizations to the playoffs and just tremendous reputation in the game. (He’s) a great developer of talent and the fact that he is interested in coming into our program at this moment in time speaks volumes. The fact that he’s willing to walk away from the NHL to join ASU speaks to who he is as a leader and what he sees in this opportunity. So, (we’re) eager to get him underway and just really appreciative of Joe Sakic (and) the Colorado Avalanche, who are a great partner throughout this process.

Gambo: He’s leaving the Avalanche, an NHL team, to come coach you at ASU. What was it about the job that intrigued him? What was it about this job that got him very excited to come here and take over the program?

Rossini: Well, he mentioned a lot how his time in North Dakota and his time teaching and leading young student-athletes was a really important part of his journey and really had that desire to get back in the environment where athletes of this age are interested in learning the game at the high level.

They’re interested in developing through their program, and something that had been on his radar maybe the past couple years. He referenced a few examples of learning more about ASU through President Crow and his alma mater, North Dakota, as we had some match-ups in the hockey space over the past couple years and attended a fireside chat that took place at the university. (He) just really started paying attention to what was happening at ASU, and as conversation started, (it) became pretty evident that he would be a good fit for what we needed.

Tim Ring: How comfortable are you going forward that trust can be restored between player and program and parent and program because I think that’s important as well?

Rossini: Yeah, there’s no doubt. A lot of our conversation with Dave throughout the process was hockey in many ways is secondary right now. We wanted somebody to come in and really lead the room, provide stable leadership to these young men experiencing a very unique moment in their career. It’s a very unique moment in our hockey program.

So a lot of our focus was about how to really communicate with the room and earn that trust and confidence of the team, of the parents, etc. And his track record is proven in that space. So we know that’s work that needs to be done and continued, and I think Dave’s the right leader for the moment that we’re in as a program.

Gambo: I see that Greg Powers released a statement basically saying that you guys had mutually agreed to part ways. Can you tell us how that decision came about?

Rossini: Yeah, it was a mutual agreement to part ways. We had those conversations just understanding what’s best for the program moving forward and really putting our eyes on the right way to advance Sun Devils hockey. At that point it became a conversation around let’s not look for the interim option. Let’s find a way to stabilize the program, put new leadership in place, and when somebody of the caliber of Dave Hakstol was available, we wanted to move on that opportunity and this was a way to advance the program.

Gambo: He’ll be behind the bench tomorrow when you guys play UMass-Lowell, correct?

Rossini: Correct. Yeah, we’re both here with the team in Massachusetts. Both took flights last night to join the team this morning. Had a chance to introduce him at the team breakfast this morning. They just got off the ice for their first workout together, and we’ll get ready for a game at UMass-Lowell tomorrow evening.

Gambo: Let’s talk some football. This is a big game for you guys going on the road to Lubbock taking on a Texas Tech team that you beat last year here. Everything I’m reading out of the articles and the coverage there is they are looking for the the revenge. You guys got him last year, 26-22. … Do you feel that this is a new great rivalry blossoming in college football ASU and Texas Tech?

Rossini: Yeah, we do. We’ve had two really exciting games. You mentioned we’re the last two programs to win the Big 12 championship, and it has been fun as we joined the Big 12 to understand these new rivalries that can develop, and this is certainly one of them. And again, the game in Lubbock two years ago, it was a close one. They got us there.

We had a great game last year with (an) unbelievable performance against Texas Tech at home. And so it’s fun that we can continue this game on an annual basis, and we know there’ll be a lot of attention in Lubbock. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our program once again going on the road against the top 10 team. Game’s on Fox, so an incredible national television audience, and it’ll be fun to compete. And I know both coaching staff’s have tremendous respect for one another.

It’s been fun at Big 12 meetings when we’re together to see the coaches interact, and I know that they respect each other. I know they’re prepared to compete. So, should be a lot of fun on Saturday.

Tim Ring: I wanted to ask you about the NIL program over there at Texas Tech. We all know who’s in charge of that and how much money they spend on their roster. As an athletic director, what is that like when your football team goes up against a conference team and you know that their roster is just far more expensive than your own? Is that tough to deal with? Does it make it extra sweet if you can beat them?

Rossini: Yeah, we’re focused on the environment. Every university at some level is focused on the same objectives. How do we adapt and stay agile to the environment around us? There’s obviously a lot going on at a national level with the Protecting College Sports Act, that passed (in the) Senate. It’ll go to the House here in a couple weeks. And so, we’re mindful of any opportunity to create our own upside. And again, we’ve got a tremendous fan base. We’ve got a tremendous marketplace in the Valley with people moving in. A million people new to the Valley in the last decade (and) a number of businesses setting up shop.

We’re big believers that NIL is a tremendous opportunity for the local business community to plug in with our athletes, really find connection points that can matter in football and all of our sports where you’ve got these incredibly motivated young people that are active on social media. They’re a great representation of a brand, a product, a service, etc.

That’s really a big part of our daily focus and that would be the same for any department in America at this point — kind of finding those connection points to make sure that the student athlete experience at ASU or anywhere else is unique and takes advantage of the access and the relationships that you have around you.

Gambo: A lot of people are excited about this basketball program and Randy Bennett. It’s going to be a tough, tough conference. But when you look at this program and what he’s been able to bring to the table, the recruiting he’s done, the players that he’s brought in — do you feel like this first year could be something special with him?

Rossini: Yeah, we are. We’re really excited. I was with him in his office at the end of yesterday and they were just downloading the day. The coaching staff continues to be so impressive, the group that Randy’s surrounded with him.

They’ve all been together at different points in their journey, coaching together or coaching and playing together. And so, they just understand the culture that coach Bennett’s looking to build. He’s been really big about attention and detail. He’s been really big about structure within his program. He’s got some physicality. He’s got some athleticism. He’s got some skill players as well. There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. And every day that we get closer to Nov. 2, I continue to amp up. There’s been some events around the Valley where we’re getting coach connected with our fan base.

His deep Valley ties have really been valuable for us to use as a way to get him to people that are supporting our program and want to continue to support more. So we’re really, really eager to get underway. They’re in the exhibition season right now, doing some scrimmages, doing some exhibition games, fine-tuning the roster and get ready to get underway here in November.

Gambo: Let’s talk about the volleyball program. They’re 13-3 overall, 4-1 in the conference. Took down No. 2 Texas and No. 14 Minnesota. Tonight’s the rivalry game … ASU vs. Arizona. Tell me about that matchup tonight and what they bring to the table as far as the rivalry is concerned. Is this a good volleyball rivalry?

Rossini: Yeah, it really is and really in any of our sports, anytime that the Territorial Cup is at play, it’s going to be a fun matchup. We actually set a program record for attendance last year at this game and so we’re expecting a really big turnout tonight at Desert Financial Arena. It was a fun weekend. They took down ranked Colorado, and then they took down top-10 TCU over the weekend and just really playing well at home as of late and important games. The Big 12, like it is in many of our sports, is very deep top to bottom. U of A is gunning for us. Obviously, this game matters as much to them. Doesn’t matter about the rankings. Doesn’t matter about the records. This is about a rivalry and we know it’s going to be a festive environment in there. But again, another opportunity to keep building our volleyball program.

Coach Van Niel continues to do an unbelievable job in his fourth year and has us in the top 10, has us in a situation where as we keep building this, the chance to host a regional, the chance to have a deep tournament run is all within our our wherewithal. And so, every game matters. Tonight’s a big one and we’re expecting a big turnout. If people are still looking for something to do on a Thursday night, we’d love to have them at DFA.

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