In case you missed the last Devil's Junkie Podcast from @ChillyASU, @Brett Quintyne and @Fabian Ardaya - Here are ASU Athletic Director Ray Anderson's comments on a wide variety of topics- many of which we pulled from the Devil's Huddle forum.
On his first year and a half in Tempe:
"The number one thing thing that really impacts you early is the fact that this is driven by the student athlete... 18-21 year olds who can be impacted and positively influenced. The energy in the student athlete environment has been the most enlightening and energizing and very frankly fun part of the transition form the pro game."
On what Bobby Hurley brings to the basketball program:
"Enthusiasm, energy, urgency. Bobby's got a pedigree that just screams basketball at the blue collar mentality. A rough, tough, fast-paced, good defense. That's what he brought throughout his career, and certainly when he won those championships with Coach K..."
On what drove the decision to choose specific renovations to Sun Devil Stadium:
"The need to upgrade your facilities to compete at a high level, but also the need to upgrade your facilities to provide more amenities and enjoyment in our football venue. We're excited that the south end zone, which is the new student section, and we also have a north end zone inferno as well, so our 'Double Inferno,' is nearing completion. Certainly by our first game the south end zone phase will be done. It will be an upgraded football experience, as well as an upgraded football viewing experience for our fans and we're really excited about it."
On potential Wells Fargo Arena upgrades:
"Yes, Wells Fargo is certainly on our screen for facilities upgrades. The timing is still to be determined, but we're taking some early looks at what it could be as an upgraded basketball facility. Our practice facility we think is really elite, our game day facility needs improvements so we'll address that here in the not to distant future"
On potential alcohol sales at Sun Devil Stadium:
"Well certainly times have changed and fan amenities including certain adult beverages is important in some manner. We do already provide alcoholic beverages in designated premium areas, and so we will continue to, like others are doing, explore expanding that. We had a very good experience very frankly at Phoenix Muni(cipal Stadium) this year with no incidents that caused us any concern. As the business of college grows, and the fact that people want entertainment at the venue that they can possibly get at home, including an adult beverage, is part of the new landscape, and we too will look at it."
His thoughts on Todd Graham and the football program:
"One of the exciting things about Arizona State is that the football program was already turning a corner in a major way, led by coach Graham. I admire him very much, and most importantly admire how he leads and the good example he sets for these young men. We are excited about the football program, and we continue to believe that we're just getting started. We're headed in the right direction, which is upward. We've had some good success over the course of the last three years under coach Graham, but he'll be the first to tell you that the bar has been raised, and we're excited about his leadership, and think that Arizona State's gonna make a lot of noise here in the next few years."
On Deanna Garner-Smith, the new senior AD/women's administrator:
"She has a tremendous skill-set including being an attorney. She was a prosecutor in Indiana, and worked for 10 years in the NCAA in compliance enforcement, student affairs, gambling, drugs- all the things we want to make sure our students stay away from, she has experiences in being able to counsel and mentor in those areas. She just finished six years at the NFL as the Director of Player Engagement working on those transition in life skills in conduct, behavior and management... When you have an environment where our student athletes want the best experience, and some of them have a desire to go play professionally, to have someone with those skill-sets can help them transition to the next level while also making sure that they maximize those parts of their lives here at ASU. Deanna Garner-Smith is a tremendous value add to our student athletes as well as our entire administration."
On new swim coach Bob Bowman:
"There's no question that Bob Bowman upgrades our ability to have a top-notch swimming program. Him working with Michael Phelps, and a number of other Olympians certainly is a validation of his credentials, not just nationally, but internationally. So to now have Bob Bowman, and he recently hired Misty Hyman as our assistant swimming coach as well, I think bodes well for the future of ASU swimming on both the men's and women's side. In addition, it'll be nice to have Olympians training in our midst as well. That's a nice byproduct of having Bob Bowman as our new swimming coach."
On what attracted him to the ASU AD job:
"It starts with the vision of Dr. Crow, our president, to be best in class, to be inclusive, to really provide a holistic academic/athletic environment that is really second to none. And then the opportunity to come and work with the student athletes in an environment where academics really has become the driver, and then to know that there's so much expansion potential here with the Athletic Facilities District. That was really very intriguing thing to come into, because that's not the typical Athletic Director world."
On being a student athlete in the 70's vs today:
"I was able to play football and baseball at Stanford, four years in football and three years in baseball, and I enjoyed the experience. But it's hard to be a two-sport athlete today because the time demands for each of the individual sports is a lot more than when I was back there. The student athletes that are here now really have a significant commitment to be good in the classroom and be high quality in their sport, so you gotta give them all the accolades you can because it is a commitment. In my day I think it was just a lot less time demands on you. You could do more, and also you didn't have as many distractions as you have these days. I'm not sure I could do it in this environment, the way these young men and women work... One of the thing that the new governance in the NCAA is really looking at is to reduce some of those time demands so that the student-athletes can have more of a student experience. Those are some of the things that are being looked into, and I think appropriately so. There's no question about it, to compete at the highest level, the commitment of time has been elevated over the years, so you've gotta really again give credit to the men and women who come here who are students and athletes competing in the Pac-12."
On his first year and a half in Tempe:
"The number one thing thing that really impacts you early is the fact that this is driven by the student athlete... 18-21 year olds who can be impacted and positively influenced. The energy in the student athlete environment has been the most enlightening and energizing and very frankly fun part of the transition form the pro game."
On what Bobby Hurley brings to the basketball program:
"Enthusiasm, energy, urgency. Bobby's got a pedigree that just screams basketball at the blue collar mentality. A rough, tough, fast-paced, good defense. That's what he brought throughout his career, and certainly when he won those championships with Coach K..."
On what drove the decision to choose specific renovations to Sun Devil Stadium:
"The need to upgrade your facilities to compete at a high level, but also the need to upgrade your facilities to provide more amenities and enjoyment in our football venue. We're excited that the south end zone, which is the new student section, and we also have a north end zone inferno as well, so our 'Double Inferno,' is nearing completion. Certainly by our first game the south end zone phase will be done. It will be an upgraded football experience, as well as an upgraded football viewing experience for our fans and we're really excited about it."
On potential Wells Fargo Arena upgrades:
"Yes, Wells Fargo is certainly on our screen for facilities upgrades. The timing is still to be determined, but we're taking some early looks at what it could be as an upgraded basketball facility. Our practice facility we think is really elite, our game day facility needs improvements so we'll address that here in the not to distant future"
On potential alcohol sales at Sun Devil Stadium:
"Well certainly times have changed and fan amenities including certain adult beverages is important in some manner. We do already provide alcoholic beverages in designated premium areas, and so we will continue to, like others are doing, explore expanding that. We had a very good experience very frankly at Phoenix Muni(cipal Stadium) this year with no incidents that caused us any concern. As the business of college grows, and the fact that people want entertainment at the venue that they can possibly get at home, including an adult beverage, is part of the new landscape, and we too will look at it."
His thoughts on Todd Graham and the football program:
"One of the exciting things about Arizona State is that the football program was already turning a corner in a major way, led by coach Graham. I admire him very much, and most importantly admire how he leads and the good example he sets for these young men. We are excited about the football program, and we continue to believe that we're just getting started. We're headed in the right direction, which is upward. We've had some good success over the course of the last three years under coach Graham, but he'll be the first to tell you that the bar has been raised, and we're excited about his leadership, and think that Arizona State's gonna make a lot of noise here in the next few years."
On Deanna Garner-Smith, the new senior AD/women's administrator:
"She has a tremendous skill-set including being an attorney. She was a prosecutor in Indiana, and worked for 10 years in the NCAA in compliance enforcement, student affairs, gambling, drugs- all the things we want to make sure our students stay away from, she has experiences in being able to counsel and mentor in those areas. She just finished six years at the NFL as the Director of Player Engagement working on those transition in life skills in conduct, behavior and management... When you have an environment where our student athletes want the best experience, and some of them have a desire to go play professionally, to have someone with those skill-sets can help them transition to the next level while also making sure that they maximize those parts of their lives here at ASU. Deanna Garner-Smith is a tremendous value add to our student athletes as well as our entire administration."
On new swim coach Bob Bowman:
"There's no question that Bob Bowman upgrades our ability to have a top-notch swimming program. Him working with Michael Phelps, and a number of other Olympians certainly is a validation of his credentials, not just nationally, but internationally. So to now have Bob Bowman, and he recently hired Misty Hyman as our assistant swimming coach as well, I think bodes well for the future of ASU swimming on both the men's and women's side. In addition, it'll be nice to have Olympians training in our midst as well. That's a nice byproduct of having Bob Bowman as our new swimming coach."
On what attracted him to the ASU AD job:
"It starts with the vision of Dr. Crow, our president, to be best in class, to be inclusive, to really provide a holistic academic/athletic environment that is really second to none. And then the opportunity to come and work with the student athletes in an environment where academics really has become the driver, and then to know that there's so much expansion potential here with the Athletic Facilities District. That was really very intriguing thing to come into, because that's not the typical Athletic Director world."
On being a student athlete in the 70's vs today:
"I was able to play football and baseball at Stanford, four years in football and three years in baseball, and I enjoyed the experience. But it's hard to be a two-sport athlete today because the time demands for each of the individual sports is a lot more than when I was back there. The student athletes that are here now really have a significant commitment to be good in the classroom and be high quality in their sport, so you gotta give them all the accolades you can because it is a commitment. In my day I think it was just a lot less time demands on you. You could do more, and also you didn't have as many distractions as you have these days. I'm not sure I could do it in this environment, the way these young men and women work... One of the thing that the new governance in the NCAA is really looking at is to reduce some of those time demands so that the student-athletes can have more of a student experience. Those are some of the things that are being looked into, and I think appropriately so. There's no question about it, to compete at the highest level, the commitment of time has been elevated over the years, so you've gotta really again give credit to the men and women who come here who are students and athletes competing in the Pac-12."
