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Mark Carrier enters his second year as the cornerbacks coach at Arizona State. A two-time All-American at USC and 11-year NFL veteran (1990-00), Carrier brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Sun Devil program.
In his first year at ASU, Carrier led a talented corp that included senior Chris McKenzie, junior Josh Golden, and freshman Chad Green after losing his top cornerback, R.J. Oli ver, to a season-ending foot injury. McKenzie finished tied for first on the team with seven pass breakups and collected an interception and 42 tackles on the year. Golden was also impressive, pulling in two interceptions and tying for fifth on the team for tackles with 49 last year.
Carrier began his standout NFL career playing for the Chicago Bears (1990-96). He was taken by the Bears as the sixth overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft and won Rookie-of-the-Year honors after leading the NFL with 10 interceptions -- the highest single-season mark in the 1990s. A three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Bears (1990, 1991, 1993), Carrier played in 108 straight games to begin his NFL career.
Carrier then played for the Detroit Lions (1997-99). After signing with the Lions in June of 1997, Carrier tallied 296 tackles in three seasons for Detroit, including a career-high 14 against the Redskins on Nov. 9, 1997. He finished his NFL playing career with the Washington Redskins in 2000. Carrier recorded at least 100 tackles in five seasons.
Carrier turned in a stellar collegiate career at the University of Southern California. In 1989, as a junior, he became USC's first winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation's best defensive back. A two-time first team All-American (unanimous in 1989), Carrier had seven interceptions in 1989 (tied for 10th in the nation). He also added 107 tackles, three fumble recoveries and 10 pass deflections for the Trojans that year. A three-year starter with 13 career interceptions (tied for sixth all-time at USC), Carrier was a Thorpe semifinalist in 1988.
Carrier graduated from USC in 1993 with a degree in communications.
After his NFL career, Carrier worked as a sports commentator with various radio and television organizations, including WGN in Chicago and locally on ESPN's XTRA-910.
Prior to his appointment at Arizona State, Carrier was the secondary coach at Brophy Prep in Phoenix in 2003.
Carrier and his wife, Andrea, have two children: Mac (9) and Lexi (7).
THE CARRIER FILE
Born: April of 1968 in Lake Charles, La.
High School Education: Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School, 1986.
College Education: Southern California, 1993.
College Football: Southern California, 1987-89.
Coaching Career: Brophy Prep, 2003; Arizona State, 2004-present.
Recruiting Area: Los Angeles, Southern California, Illinois (Chicago).
Family: Wife, Andrea; son, Mac (9), and daughter, Lexi (7).
NFL Players Coached
| Name | School | Team |
| Chris McKenzie | Arizona State | Houston Texans |
