ASU football names linebackers coach Antonio Pierce recruiting director

ASU football announced linebackers coach Antonio Pierce was named the recruiting director of the program on Thursday.

He took the recruiting role in addition to his coaching duties with the linebackers unit.

“Antonio has earned this promotion and we are very fortunate to have him as a member of the Sun Devil staff,” head coach Herm Edwards said in a statement.  “He is one of the most dynamic recruiters in the nation and we are excited about our future together.”

Hired in December 2017, Pierce coached his first game at ASU last week. The linebacker unit combined for 17 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss against University of Texas at San Antonio.

Pierce recorded a 31-13 record as the head coach at Long Beach Poly, a high school in California, before being hired by ASU.

After playing at the University of Arizona in college, Pierce had a nine-year NFL career for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, five of which he spent as a captain for New York.

“Antonio has not only competed at the highest level of football as a linebacker himself in the NFL for nearly a decade, but he has also coached at the highest level of high school football in his time at Long Beach Poly,” Edwards said in a December statement after hiring Pierce. “He will be a valuable addition to our staff and someone we expect to immediately have an impact on our program.”

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