Tony White has left for Syracuse, but Herm Edwards waited no time at all to name his replacement. Or, his replacements.
Arizona State has named Marvin Lewis and Antonio Pierce as its new co-defensive coordinators, the school announced on Tuesday.
The pair instantly becomes the most accomplished co-coordinators at the college level. Lewis won 131 games and four AFC North championships while making seven playoff appearances in 16 seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals' head coach. Pierce collected 686 career tackles and won a Super Bowl in nine seasons as a linebacker for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.
"Marvin Lewis is someone that I have come to trust wholeheartedly during my career and his coaching acumen will prove to be invaluable as we continue to push this program forward," Edwards said. "He has coached at the highest level of football and spearheaded some elite defenses in the process. That kind of experience cannot be measured and his passion for teaching will extend beyond the student-athletes, but also to our coaching staff itself."
"Antonio Pierce has established himself as one of the elite recruiters in the nation and is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches around," Edwards said. "His impact with the linebackers and with the Sun Devil program in just two seasons has been tangible and he has been a pivotal part in our defensive success since his arrival in Tempe."
Pierce spent 2014-17 as the head coach at California powerhouse Long Beach Poly before joining Edwards' staff as linebackers coach in 2018. Lewis came aboard last season as a special advisor.
Lewis will not carry a positional assignment, while Pierce will be ASU's associate head coach in addition to serving as co-defensive coordinator and continuing to coach linebackers.
Edwards also hired a new offensive coordinator this winter, plucking Zak Hill away from Boise State in December.
Arizona State went 8-5 in 2019, closing the year with an upset of No. 6 Oregon, a Territorial Cup victory over Arizona and a Sun Bowl defeat of Florida State.
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