ASU Football: Jackie Shipp Hired as DL Coach, Defensive Staff Shuffled

The Sun Devil coaching staff vacancy left by departed defensive assistant Ron West has now been filled, as Jackie Shipp has been hired to the Arizona State football staff as the team's new defensive line coach.

As a result of the hire, defensive coordinator Paul Randolph, who had coached the defensive line, is moving to linebackers coach. In addition, safties coach Chris Ball has been elevated to fill West's role as co-defensive coordinator alongside Randolph.

Shipp comes to Tempe after 14 years coaching at Oklahoma, where he was a standout player from 1980-1983 before becoming a first round pick of the Miami Dolphins. While coaching the Sooners' defensive lines, he produced three All-Americans and helped win the 2001 National Championship. Shipp also won the American Football Foundation Mike Campbell Top Assistant Coach Award, and was a Top 25 recruiter according to Rivals in 2009.

Shipp will now get to work with an exceedingly talented group of Will Sutton, Jaxon Hood, Junior Onyeali and Davon Coleman, among others including recent addition Marcus Hardison. In addition, he will play a key role in ASU's recruitment efforts in California.

In a release from ASU, Todd Graham had high praise for Shipp.

"I am thrilled to announce the hire of veteran coach Jackie Shipp to my staff at Arizona State," says Graham. "I could not have found a candidate who was a better fit for what we need at this time. Jackie is one of the best defensive line coaches in college football and our linemen will benefit from his leadership and mentoring. We just became a better football program with the appointment of Jackie Shipp. He's a top-flight recruiter with contacts in the states of Oklahoma, Texas and California. He will recruit all areas for us with special emphasis on the state of California."

Graham went on to express top confidence in his new staff.

"When Jackie became available I was able to move Paul Randolph's position emphasis to linebacker. Paul will continue to serve as defensive coordinator/linebackers along with Chris Ball, Joe Lorig and Jackie Shipp in our continuing effort to build a championship defense at ASU. I am also proud to announce that Chris Ball will become my co-defensive coordinator. Chris has coordinated defenses at several schools and will partner with Paul in that capacity. This is one of the top defensive coaching staffs in the nation."

Prior to Oklahoma, Shipp had coaching stops including Alabama, Northeast Louisiana, Southern Illinois, as well as the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

Shipp's Coaching History (via ASU Media Relations)
1999 - 2012 - University of Oklahoma, Defensive Line
1998 - University of Alabama, Defensive Line
1997 - Northeast Louisiana University, Defensive Line
1996 -1997 - Minnesota Vikings, Coaching Intern
1995 - Green Bay Packers, Coaching Intern
1994 - 1996 - Southern Illinois University, Defensive Line
1993 - University of Tennessee-Martin, Defensive Line
1992 - Central Missouri State University, Defensive Line
1991 - Langston University, Linebackers