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Since he set foot on campus at Arizona State, Todd Graham has been a man on a mission. Part of Graham's mission is to bring top talent from around the country to play football in the desert, and on Tuesday, he made a decision that should help him reach his goal.
The Arizona State media relations department issued a press release on Tuesday announcing the hiring of Patrick Suddes, a former football staff at Alabama and Texas, as the Sun Devils' assistant athletic director for recruiting.
Suddes honed his craft under the tutelage of college football greats Nick Saban and Mack Brown, and he appears eager to take the next step in his career.
During the 2013 season at Texas, Suddes served as the Director of Player Personnel, a role in which he helped organize recruiting meetings, developed recruiting strategies and daily plans, and incorporated social media into recruiting, according to Arizona State's press release.
Suddes has high praise for the work that Graham has been able to accomplish as a head coach and he issued the following statement.
"I’m excited to come to Arizona State and work under a great teacher and leader like coach Graham," Suddes said. "I have been fortunate to work for two future hall of fame coaches in Nick Saban and Mack Brown, and it is clear coach Graham is in the same mold as them."
Graham is equally excited about the prospects of working with someone who knows the state of Texas and the Southeastern United States well. The addition of Suddes to the staff gives Arizona State a presence in an area that Graham hopes to sign more recruits from.
The Sun Devils know Suddes brings experience from championship-caliber programs, and in Arizona State's press release, Graham expressed his desire to draw on Suddes' expertise.
"He knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level and his wealth of experience in all aspects of football operations will help further our goal of bringing a championship to Tempe."
Suddes began his career back in 2004 as an intern under Nick Saban at LSU and he followed the current Alabama coach to the professional ranks and served as a defensive assistant during his first year with the Miami Dolphins.
In 2007, Saban and Suddes returned to the college level and Suddes worked as the Assistant Director of Recruiting at Alabama. Arizona State's press release indicates that Suddes became the Associate Director of Football Operations in 2008 and served in that capacity until his career led him to Texas last season.
After signing one of the best recruiting classes in the Pac-12 this month, Graham and the Sun Devils are showing no indications of slowing down on the recruiting trail. The addition of Suddes bolsters a staff that has already demonstrated signs of progress, and Arizona State looks forward to his immediate contributions.