Teaching The Game Of Life: Striving For Profection (by Thomas Lennerberg, ASU Media Relations)
Paul Randolph enters his fourth season (19th overall) as Associate Head Coach and Co-Defensive Coordinator for the Sun Devils.
In his fourth season at ASU, Randolph mentored All-Pac-12 Second Team senior defensive end Marcus Hardison. Hardison, along with the other members of the defensive line finished with 39 sacks (13th in the nation) and 98 TFL’s (11th in the nation).
In 2013, the defense was responsible for 37 of ASU’s points this season and forced a turn over in 29 consecutive games (Including every game of the Todd Graham era). Of those turnovers and points five of them were interception returns. The defense had 80 three-and-outs on 189 drives (42.3 percent), ranked fifth nationally with 5.71 three-and-outs per game.
Under the mentorship of Randolph, LB Carl Bradford was one of just five FBS players in 2012 to total 80+ tackles, 20+ TFLs AND 10+ sacks on the year.
Randolph played a big part in mentoring defensive lineman Will Sutton, who in 2012 became ASU's sixth winner of the Morris Trophy, and 18th consensus All-American (first since 2007.) Sutton also became the fifth player to win the Pac-10/12 Conference Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year award.
Under Randolph's direction, the Sun Devil defense had several notable accomplishments in 2012. It led the nation in tackles for loss (9.0 TFL per game) and was second in the nation in sacks (4.0 sacks per game). Its season totals in tackles for loss (117) and sacks (52) were both the second-highest marks in school history. In addition, the Sun Devil defense had a hand in 165 of the 499 points (33.1 percent) scored in 2012 while more than 16 percent of the plays run by opponents did not advance past the line of scrimmage
Five players recorded double-digit TFLs for only the second time in school history. Included among those players were Sutton and linebacker Carl Bradford, who combined for 44 TFLs, the most for a duo in school history
Randolph spent 2011 on Todd Graham's staff at the University of Pittsburgh where he helped the Panthers rank third in the nation in sacks per game (3.31).
Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Randolph spent four seasons at Tulsa, playing an instrumental role in the Golden Hurricane's emergence as a perennial bowl team. Tulsa won 36 games during that time, including three bowl victories. He helped mold a defense that led the country in interceptions in 2010 (24) and ranked third in turnovers forced (36).
In 2006, Randolph served under Graham as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Rice. His efforts helped produce one of the most impressive revitalizations in recent college football history. The Owls earned their first bowl berth in 45 years after a 7-5 regular season that included victories in six of their final seven games.
Prior to Rice, Randolph was the defensive ends coach at Alabama (2003-05), where he helped the Crimson Tide boast one of the nation's toughest defenses. In 2005, Alabama led the country in scoring defense (10.7 points/game) while ranking second in total defense (255.1 yards/game), fifth in pass defense (160.8 yards/game) and ninth in rushing defense (94.3 yards/game).
Randolph also distinguished himself on the recruiting trail during his time in Tuscaloosa and was named one of the country's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.
He also spent time at West Virginia in 2002, coaching the defensive line. His other collegiate coaching stops include Toledo, Illinois State, Valdosta State and his alma mater, Tennessee-Martin.
An all-conference linebacker at Tennessee-Martin, Randolph went on to a decorated professional playing career in the Canadian Football League. He played eight seasons with Winnipeg (1988-95) and then served two years as a team captain and player-coach with the Montreal Alouettes (1996-97). Randolph helped Winnipeg to Grey Cup championships in 1988 and '90 before receiving induction into the Blue Bombers' Hall of Fame in 2002.
Randolph earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering technology from Tennessee-Martin in 1990.