Lions DC Teryl Austin in the mix during ASU coaching search
Nov 28, 2017, 12:41 PM | Updated: 2:22 pm
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin watches before an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is in the conversation as athletic director Ray Anderson searches for a replacement for Todd Graham as Arizona State head coach, according to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.
Gambadoro reports that former NFL head coach Tony Dungy is “pushing” Anderson to consider Austin for the job. ASU has yet to reach out to Austin.
Dungy and fellow former NFL coach Herm Edwards are rumored to be helping Anderson make his hire rather than ASU using a search firm, 98.7 FM’s Mike Jurecki reported last week.
Austin was also mentioned as an ASU coaching candidate by USA Today’s Dan Wolken before Graham was fired. Wolken reported that Anderson “is known to be intrigued” by the 52-year-old.
RELATED: Who will replace Todd Graham as ASU coach?
Austin has coached as a defensive assistant at Wake Forest (1993-95), Syracuse (1996-98) and Michigan (1999-2002). He then made the move to the NFL as defensive backs coach with the Seattle Seahawks (2003-06) and Arizona Cardinals (2007-09) before becoming defensive coordinator at Florida (2010).
From 2011-13, he was secondary coach for the Baltimore Ravens before joining Detroit in 2014.
Because of Anderson’s experience as an NFL executive, it’s believed he would heavily consider coaches with NFL ties.
That said, he mentioned after Graham’s firing that he would only consider candidates with head coaching experience.
That and Anderson’s expected timeline to make a hire before the early signing period from Dec. 20-22 would inhibit his ability to sign NFL coaches.
The NFL’s regular season will run through the end of the December, while the Lions’ 6-5 record sets them up for a potential playoff berth that could hurt ASU’s chances at hiring a coach like Austin.
Austin joins a shortlist of potential Sun Devil coaching hires that includes fired Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason and Michigan passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton.
