The 2016 season will be DelVaughn Alexander’s 21st year in the coaching ranks and his fifth season at ASU. Alexander will transition to coaching ASU’s tight ends in 2015 after overseeing the squad’s wide receivers his first four seasons.Alexander, who also oversaw the passing game while coaching the wide receivers, helped the Sun Devil aerial attack continue to operate at a high rate of efficiency last season as ASU finished in the top third of the Pac-12 in passing offense (299.1 yards per game).
In his only season as a Sun Devil after transferring in as a graduate student, Devin Lucien paced ASU’s receivers with 66 receptions for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015. Lucien, who would go on to be drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, accounted for two of the top three single-game performances for receiving yards in the Pac-12 last season after posting 191 yards vs. Arizona and following that with a 200-yard performance at Cal.
Alexander was also instrumental in the development of wide receiver Tim White, who last season tied with Lucien for the team lead with eight touchdowns and finished second with 633 receiving yards.
In 2014 Alexander’s receivers accounted for 57 percent of ASU’s touchdowns and 61 percent of its total yardage. Under his tutelage wide receivers Jaelen Strong (All-Pac-12), Gary Chambers and Cameron Smith posted career seasons. The trio helped lead the Sun Devils to 37 points a game (16th in the nation) and 34 receiving touchdowns (13th in the nation.) Alexander continued to develop the special talents of Strong, who hauled in 82 catches (third-highest single-season total in school history) for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns. This past spring the Houston Texans selected Strong in the third round of the annual NFL Draft.
Strong had a breakout season in 2013, his first season as a Sun Devil, as he led the team in receptions (75), yards (1,122) and touchdown receptions (7). Strong became the first Sun Devil to have more than one 100-yard receiving game (three) in his first four starts.
Another factor in the effectiveness of ASU’s passing game has been the play of the running backs, who accounted for more than 200 receptions and more than 2,200 yards to go along with 20-plus touchdowns in 2012 and 2013. D.J. Foster and Marion Grice were two of the main playmakers out of the backfield the as the duo combined for 192 receptions, 2,049 yards and 22 touchdowns during the aforementioned two-year stretch. Foster would continue to make plays out of the backfield last season as he caught 59 passes for 646 yards and three touchdowns.
ASU’s passing game thrived in 2012 as Sun Devil pass catchers helped (then) first-year quarterback Taylor Kelly establish a single-season school record for completion percentage. In addition, they also caught 33 balls for touchdowns, the second most in school history.
Before joining ASU, Alexander spent five seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers, coaching wide receivers. While with the Badgers, Alexander was a part of two Big Ten championships and five bowl appearances, including back-to-back Rose Bowls his last two seasons. No stranger to the Pac-12, Alexander has coached at both Oregon State and USC.
While at Wisconsin, Alexander saw the Badgers offense turn in some of the most prolific passing seasons in program history. During the 2011 season, Wisconsin passed for 3,280 yards, the highest total in school history. All-Big Ten receiver Nick Toon led the team with 64 catches for 926 yards and 10 scores. His 926 yards were the fifth-highest total in school history. Toon left Madison, Wisconsin, with the third-most receiving yards in school history and the fifth-most touchdown receptions. In 2009 UW passed for the fourth-highest yardage total in school history (2,770 yards).
Prior to his tenure at Wisconsin, Alexander served as the running backs coach, assistant travel coordinator, assistant special teams coordinator and NCAA rules representative at the University of San Diego from 2005 to 2006 under then-coach Jim Harbaugh. The Toreros, who led the nation in offense in 2005 won their conference title, in 2005 and 2006.
Alexander spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons in Corvallis, Oregon, coaching the Oregon State wide receivers while also serving as recruiting coordinator. OSU placed wide receivers on the All-Pac-10 First Team during each of his two seasons with the Beavers. He arrived at Oregon State after coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks at UNLV from 2000 to 2002. He was also the passing game coordinator for the Rebels in 2000 and 2001. Alexander-coached players earned first-team All-Mountain West accolades in each of his three years there. He also coached at UNLV in 1998.
Alexander worked for the San Diego Chargers as a senior offensive assistant (running backs) and also had responsibilities with quality control, video analysis, opponent summaries and self scout.
Alexander began his coaching career in 1995, working as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, USC. Alexander lettered in football and track at USC and earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences/history in 1995. He played for two bowl-winning teams (1992 Freedom Bowl and 1994 Cotton Bowl) and has coached in 14 bowl games (including seven bowl wins – 1996 Rose Bowl, 2000 and 2003 Las Vegas Bowls and 2004 Insight.com Bowl, 2009 Champs Sports Bowl, 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, 2013 National University Holiday Bowl and the 2014 Hyundai Sun Bowl).
A native of Los Angeles, Alexander’s family includes his wife, Star, and children: JD, Jalen and Drew.