Joe Lorig enters his second season as special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach at Arizona State under head coach Todd Graham.
In 2012, the play of ASU's cornerbacks contributed to the 180-degree turnaround that saw the Sun Devils go from the basement of the Pac-12 in pass defense in 2011 to third in the nation. Both of ASU's starting cornerbacks – Deveron Carr and Osahon Irabor – earned Pac-12 honorable mention notice as the duo combined for 21 passes defensed.
Under Lorig, punter Josh Hubner set the school record, led the Pac-12 and was second in the nation for yards per punt (47.1) in 2012. Hubner was named to numerous All-America teams, including Lindy's (third team) and Sports Illustrated (honorable mention) in addition to earning All-Pac-12 Second-Team accolades and being named a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
Prior to joining the Sun Devils, Lorig was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Central Washington University for four seasons.
During his time at Central Washington, the Wildcats posted a 34-12 record with three Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships and two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Lorig, whose Wildcat defense routinely placed among the top 10 in the nation in total defense, was named the 2010 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Assistant Coach of the Year.
In 2009, his defense led the NCAA Division II in scoring defense (11.9 points/game), and ranked third nationally in rushing defense (58.6 yards/game) and fourth in total defense (249.3 yards/game), earning him a spot as a finalist for the FootballScoop Division II Coordinator of the Year. His efforts helped the Wildcats finish the year at 12-1, earn a No. 1 national ranking in the final poll of the regular season and advance to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
In 2007, Lorig served as the linebackers coach at the University of Texas at El Paso. He spent one season on head coach Mike Price's staff before moving back to the Pacific Northwest to join the CWU coaching staff. Prior to UTEP, Lorig spent eight seasons as a defensive assistant with Idaho State University. He coached the linebackers and safeties at ISU, and was the defensive coordinator for head coach Larry Lewis from 2003-06.
His coaching career began as an assistant at Western Oregon, where he helped guide his alma mater to the 1997 Columbia Football Association championship and a berth in the NAIA post-season. A two-time All-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) honoree at cornerback at Walla Walla Community College, Lorig played his final two years of collegiate football at Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University), where he was a team captain.
He has mentored a number of professional players, including Jared Allen, an All-Pro defensive end from Idaho State who plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League; Pago Togafau, who has been a member of four NFL teams; Jeff Charleston, who has been a member of three NFL teams and Adam Bighill, a Division II All-American linebacker from CWU who was a rookie on the Grey Cup champion British Columbia Lions in 2011.
Lorig earned both his bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement(1995) .and his master's in Correctional Administration (1997) from Western Oregon. A native of Edmonds, Wash., and an avid outdoorsman, his family includes his wife, Becky, and children: son, Tyler, and daughters, Jordan and Emma.