RIP Frank Kush

[azgreg]

Say what you want about the guy, but he could flat out coach and owned us.

[scumdevils86]

like he was an asshole? but yeah he owned us. rip.

[Merkin]

Just don't make any bad punts.

But still, a HOF coach, and deservedly so.

[azgreg]

[azcat49]

Great coach. Condolences to the devil faithful

[zonagrad]

Kush had an unbelievable recruiting advantage over Arizona during his heyday. ASU could and would take anyone with a pulse. Arizona had much tougher academic standards until things were relaxed in the mid-70's. It was far from a level playing field during the time Kush was so successful. That doesn't detract from the performance on the field, but it is what it is. Let the record show that Kush was against joining the Pac 10, relinquishing his advantage over Mountain schools such as New Mexico and Wyoming, etc... Once in the Pac, Kush's dominance certainly didn't carry over.

I see why Kush is so revered in Sun Devil country. But he was a big fish in a small pond. ASU even had its own bowl game. Tap the brakes please.

[Scummy Dick Douglas]

Kush had an unbelievable recruiting advantage over Arizona during his heyday. ASU could and would take anyone with a pulse. Arizona had much tougher academic standards until things were relaxed in the mid-70's. It was far from a level playing field during the time Kush was so successful. That doesn't detract from the performance on the field, but it is what it is. Let the record show that Kush was against joining the Pac 10, relinquishing his advantage over Mountain schools such as New Mexico and Wyoming, etc... Once in the Pac, Kush's dominance certainly didn't carry over.

I see why Kush is so revered in Sun Devil country. But he was a big fish in a small pond. ASU even had its own bowl game. Tap the brakes please.

Kush was fired 17 games after joining the PAC. He went 9-3 in his first season in the PAC, including a win over #2 USC. Hardly evidence that his dominance did not / would not carry over.

"The addition of Arizona and ASU met some notable resistance. Kush, of all people, didn't want to leave the WAC. "They need us more than we need them," he said. He was right, of course.

The old Pac-8 had no depth in football, played to about 55 percent capacity, and the basketball programs at Cal and Stanford were basically intramurals with scholarships. The Arizona schools immediately gave the league a buzz. Arizona soon led the Pac-10 in basketball attendance, and ASU was immediately the runaway leader in football attendance."

http://tucson.com/sports/college/wildca ... 762ab.html

[catgrad97]

And those asinine California sensibilities carried over in Tom Hansen's tenure and continue to pervade Larry Scott's decision-making today.

It's gravy-training and market-driven favoritism, and the smell of that B.S. is starting to stink pretty badly around the offices of the school presidents who know this conference isn't just all about California.

And until the conference reinforces such success in attendance and in non-Olympic sports over some 75-year-old provincial mindset of tradition, it'll make the Pac the most vulnerable of the Power 5 to defection.

Just as one non-Kush example: If Mike Candrea did what he has done in the Big East, Big 12, SEC, ACC or Big 10, he would be lionized as another Geno Auriemma. Put on committees, made a conference official and in general held up as the West Coast promoter of collegiate softball.

He should be an icon in the sport. Instead, his success is appropriated, given lip service to and the man is just allowed to fade out. In a way, Lute got similar treatment.

The conference of champions? You'd never know given its treatment of its most successful coaches. Including Kush.

[azcat49]

Kush had an unbelievable recruiting advantage over Arizona during his heyday. ASU could and would take anyone with a pulse. Arizona had much tougher academic standards until things were relaxed in the mid-70's. It was far from a level playing field during the time Kush was so successful. That doesn't detract from the performance on the field, but it is what it is. Let the record show that Kush was against joining the Pac 10, relinquishing his advantage over Mountain schools such as New Mexico and Wyoming, etc... Once in the Pac, Kush's dominance certainly didn't carry over.

I see why Kush is so revered in Sun Devil country. But he was a big fish in a small pond. ASU even had its own bowl game. Tap the brakes please.

Kush was fired 17 games after joining the PAC. He went 9-3 in his first season in the PAC, including a win over #2 USC. Hardly evidence that his dominance did not / would not carry over.

"The addition of Arizona and ASU met some notable resistance. Kush, of all people, didn't want to leave the WAC. "They need us more than we need them," he said. He was right, of course.

The old Pac-8 had no depth in football, played to about 55 percent capacity, and the basketball programs at Cal and Stanford were basically intramurals with scholarships. The Arizona schools immediately gave the league a buzz. Arizona soon led the Pac-10 in basketball attendance, and ASU was immediately the runaway leader in football attendance."

http://tucson.com/sports/college/wildca ... 762ab.html

Agreed. I don't think Zonagrad is old enough to remember just how good Kush's devils were. The list of NFL guys is plentiful.

That first USC game in SDS, the Trojans had no chance against AL Harris and his defensive mates. 20-7 looked like 40-0