March 21, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State wrestling coach Lee Roy Smith is stepping aside from his coaching duties to accommodate a change in his professional life, ASU athletic director Gene Smith announced today.
"We wish Lee Roy all the best," Gene Smith said. "He left us with a great program to be able to attract a quality head coach."
Assistant coach Tony Quinones will take over as the interim head coach until a replacement is found. A nation-wide search for a new head coach will take place immediately.
"I have decided to leave Arizona State and move on with my career," Lee Roy Smith said. "I have been working on several opportunities, both outside of wrestling and within the sport, which I will be considering at this time."
At the helm of ASU's wrestling program for the last nine years, Smith led the Sun Devils to nine NCAA appearances, five top-10 national finishes and five Pac-10 titles. He has mentored 27 All-Americans at ASU, including two national champions for a total of three NCAA individual titles. Smith ends his career with an overall dual record of 91-58-1 (.607).
"I am very proud of what we accomplished as a team during my nine-year tenure as coach at Arizona State," Smith said. "Academically, wrestling has improved to have the highest graduation rate among all men's sports as ASU.
"But what I am most proud of is the relationships I have developed with my Sun Devil family and the success our wrestlers have achieved after leaving here, both on and off the mat. I am leaving the program in good shape for the future and I am confident that Arizona State will continue to support an elite wrestling program."