"Coach Devin West's departure from our program as lead sprints coach provides us with an opportunity to reevaluate our options for the future. I have the utmost confidence in our coaching staff with Brian Blutreich leading the throwers, Jeremy Rasmussen and Cory Leslie reinvigorating our distance program, Ron Barela and his talented group of vaulters, and Javonie Small – who has helped this sprints group and has been instrumental to the recruiting process for this upcoming season. We thank coach West his service to this program and wish him the best in his career." – Director of track and field Greg Kraft
"We look forward to building our staff to not only compete in 2018-19 at the highest level but with an eye on Coach Kraft retiring in 2020. We have a tremendous amount of both tradition and potential in our program, and with all that Sun Devil Athletics and Arizona State have to offer, we are excited for the future with our current staff with an eye on hiring a great fit for Sun Devil Athletics." – Senior Associate Athletic Director Don Bocchi
TEMPE – Arizona State University Director of track and field Greg Kraft announced that sprints coach Devin West will be named associate head coach and will be recognized as head coach in waiting with a plan to succeed Kraft following his retirement in 2020.
"I felt it was the right time for me to approach that subject with my supervisors," Kraft said. "Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful relationship with our senior administrators. I think they see there is a wealth of potential in our staff and that Devin is a natural point person to carry that on as we head into the recruiting seasons for 2019 and 2020."
The announcement comes 25 months out from the expected change, a significant piece of the process for Kraft as he expressed the importance of having a seamless transition and retaining the continuity his staff has developed over this past season.
"My intention when I was offered a contract extension was that this would be my final contract, so with my impending retirement, I didn't want my timeline to be a negative for our program," Kraft said. "I'm excited for the next two years and for this class we have coming in, but I want to be candid and honest with the classes of 2019 and 2020 that Arizona State University is a great place to be and we have a plan moving forward so that we won't slow down."
The Sun Devils have thrived under Kraft as he has led them to four NCAA team titles and five conference titles in his 22-year tenure as ASU's head coach. His athletes have earned 134 All-America honors indoors, 172 outdoor honors and 34 NCAA titles in the process.
Kraft's successor, West, has been on the Sun Devil staff for just under a year now, but the lead sprints coach has already made his mark on the program with his coaching and recruiting prowess.
"When looking for a great head coach for any program I think it is important to see if there is a chance to promote from within," vice president of university athletics Ray Anderson said. "With coach Kraft set to retire after an amazing Sun Devil Hall of Fame caliber career in the summer of 2020, we strongly believe that Devin West can elevate our program as he learns from one of the greats, side-by-side. West's relationships with our staff, student-athletes and in the track community – both here and nationally – are exemplary. With this head coach position overseeing six of our 26 sports, his energy and knowledge of our program will be a big part of leading us into the next decade and beyond. The goal is to build on what Kraft started to build nearly 25 years ago, and with a wealth of experience, coaching Olympians and All-Americans, West has the ability to do that and more. Much of what is said about coach West is his ability to recruit, but his proven ability to productively coach and his experiences and successes at many places are just as important. We look forward to Kraft having a solid finish to his career over the next two years with West ready to succeed him."
West has worked under a number of the nation's most successful head coaches, including his most recent position at ASU. West came to Tempe from Georgia where he worked under NCAA champion coach Petros Kyprianou, and prior to his time in Athens, West spent time under legendary Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley and track and field icon Amy Deem at Miami (Fla.).
At Air Force, West received guidance from 29-year Falcon director of track and field Ralph Lindeman, and he got his start at Kennesaw State under coach Donald McGary.
"First and foremost, I have to thank Ray Anderson, Don Bocchi and Scottie Graham for their vision for this program and for bringing me here in the first place," West said. "More than anybody, though, I have to thank coach Kraft because this is truly his vision and what he wants to happen with this program. I'm forever going to be indebted to him for that.
"Arizona State is a dream job for a lot of people," West said. "We're in a place that has such a rich history and the opportunity to pen a new chapter of that history with new performances, new people and new guidance is always exciting. I think our coaches have done great and we're just scratching the surface. We have a lot more in store, a lot of positive energy and a lot of motivation that'll carry us a long way."
While West will take charge of the program in 2020, the first year Sun Devil is surrounded by a unique and talented coaching staff that includes just as much youth as it does experience.
"It was important to me to keep the synergy the staff has developed this year and with Devin as the point person, I feel that will continue," Kraft said.
The staff includes assistant sprints coach Javonie Small, assistant distance coach Cory Leslie, throws coach Brian Blutreich, head cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen and volunteer coaches Ron Barela and Priscilla Schultz.
"We've got two of the better up-and-coming coaches in Cory and Javonie," West said. "Brian is one of the best throws coaches in the country, Jeremy knows ASU inside and out and has big goals for our cross country program, and Ron and Priscilla are in the same boat as Jeremy in that they competed for this program and are always working to make us better."
Kraft and the Sun Devils wrap up the 2018 season next weekend at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where four athletes are scheduled to don the maroon and gold and compete for national titles, including Alethia Marrero, Samantha Noennig, Kaylee Antill and two-time NCAA champion Magdalyn Ewen.
"It's a dream come true honestly," West said. "For me, it's a blessing because it's not something that has to be rushed or something I have to get thrown into. It's nice to be able to work that transition and learn more under the tutelage of coach Kraft."
"We look forward to building our staff to not only compete in 2018-19 at the highest level but with an eye on Coach Kraft retiring in 2020. We have a tremendous amount of both tradition and potential in our program, and with all that Sun Devil Athletics and Arizona State have to offer, we are excited for the future with our current staff with an eye on hiring a great fit for Sun Devil Athletics." – Senior Associate Athletic Director Don Bocchi
TEMPE – Arizona State University Director of track and field Greg Kraft announced that sprints coach Devin West will be named associate head coach and will be recognized as head coach in waiting with a plan to succeed Kraft following his retirement in 2020.
"I felt it was the right time for me to approach that subject with my supervisors," Kraft said. "Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful relationship with our senior administrators. I think they see there is a wealth of potential in our staff and that Devin is a natural point person to carry that on as we head into the recruiting seasons for 2019 and 2020."
The announcement comes 25 months out from the expected change, a significant piece of the process for Kraft as he expressed the importance of having a seamless transition and retaining the continuity his staff has developed over this past season.
"My intention when I was offered a contract extension was that this would be my final contract, so with my impending retirement, I didn't want my timeline to be a negative for our program," Kraft said. "I'm excited for the next two years and for this class we have coming in, but I want to be candid and honest with the classes of 2019 and 2020 that Arizona State University is a great place to be and we have a plan moving forward so that we won't slow down."
The Sun Devils have thrived under Kraft as he has led them to four NCAA team titles and five conference titles in his 22-year tenure as ASU's head coach. His athletes have earned 134 All-America honors indoors, 172 outdoor honors and 34 NCAA titles in the process.
Kraft's successor, West, has been on the Sun Devil staff for just under a year now, but the lead sprints coach has already made his mark on the program with his coaching and recruiting prowess.
"When looking for a great head coach for any program I think it is important to see if there is a chance to promote from within," vice president of university athletics Ray Anderson said. "With coach Kraft set to retire after an amazing Sun Devil Hall of Fame caliber career in the summer of 2020, we strongly believe that Devin West can elevate our program as he learns from one of the greats, side-by-side. West's relationships with our staff, student-athletes and in the track community – both here and nationally – are exemplary. With this head coach position overseeing six of our 26 sports, his energy and knowledge of our program will be a big part of leading us into the next decade and beyond. The goal is to build on what Kraft started to build nearly 25 years ago, and with a wealth of experience, coaching Olympians and All-Americans, West has the ability to do that and more. Much of what is said about coach West is his ability to recruit, but his proven ability to productively coach and his experiences and successes at many places are just as important. We look forward to Kraft having a solid finish to his career over the next two years with West ready to succeed him."
West has worked under a number of the nation's most successful head coaches, including his most recent position at ASU. West came to Tempe from Georgia where he worked under NCAA champion coach Petros Kyprianou, and prior to his time in Athens, West spent time under legendary Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley and track and field icon Amy Deem at Miami (Fla.).
At Air Force, West received guidance from 29-year Falcon director of track and field Ralph Lindeman, and he got his start at Kennesaw State under coach Donald McGary.
"First and foremost, I have to thank Ray Anderson, Don Bocchi and Scottie Graham for their vision for this program and for bringing me here in the first place," West said. "More than anybody, though, I have to thank coach Kraft because this is truly his vision and what he wants to happen with this program. I'm forever going to be indebted to him for that.
"Arizona State is a dream job for a lot of people," West said. "We're in a place that has such a rich history and the opportunity to pen a new chapter of that history with new performances, new people and new guidance is always exciting. I think our coaches have done great and we're just scratching the surface. We have a lot more in store, a lot of positive energy and a lot of motivation that'll carry us a long way."
While West will take charge of the program in 2020, the first year Sun Devil is surrounded by a unique and talented coaching staff that includes just as much youth as it does experience.
"It was important to me to keep the synergy the staff has developed this year and with Devin as the point person, I feel that will continue," Kraft said.
The staff includes assistant sprints coach Javonie Small, assistant distance coach Cory Leslie, throws coach Brian Blutreich, head cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen and volunteer coaches Ron Barela and Priscilla Schultz.
"We've got two of the better up-and-coming coaches in Cory and Javonie," West said. "Brian is one of the best throws coaches in the country, Jeremy knows ASU inside and out and has big goals for our cross country program, and Ron and Priscilla are in the same boat as Jeremy in that they competed for this program and are always working to make us better."
Kraft and the Sun Devils wrap up the 2018 season next weekend at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where four athletes are scheduled to don the maroon and gold and compete for national titles, including Alethia Marrero, Samantha Noennig, Kaylee Antill and two-time NCAA champion Magdalyn Ewen.
"It's a dream come true honestly," West said. "For me, it's a blessing because it's not something that has to be rushed or something I have to get thrown into. It's nice to be able to work that transition and learn more under the tutelage of coach Kraft."