The Arizona State Sun Devils football program, which has been embroiled in an NCAA investigation into the recruiting practices of Herm Edwards' staff -- some members of whom already have departed, has announced a new administrative leader atop football.
Tony DeFeo, previously Jim Harbaugh's director of football operations, analytics and NFL liaison at Michigan, was tabbed for the new oversight role.
"My family and I are extremely grateful to Coach Herm Edwards, Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson and especially Deputy Athletics Director Jean Boyd for the opportunity to join the Sun Devil family," DeFeo said in the school's release.
DeFeo also has NFL experience with the San Francisco 49ers. A University of Kansas graduate who earned a doctorate in sports law from DePaul, DeFeo likewise has been a successful entrepreneur -- and ASU's release also touted DeFeo's past experience in negotiating media broadcast rights deals as well.
The Sun Devils' program under Edwards has been under the NCAA microscope for an extended period of time due to allegations of egregious recruiting violations that were said to have repeatedly occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic -- specifically when the NCAA and its member programs had agreed to a months-long dark period that outlawed in-person recruiting, among other elements.
ASU opened its 2022 season with a 40-3 win against Football Championship Subdivision foe Northern Arizona last week. The Sun Devils are scheduled to kick off against the Cowboys (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.