ASU athletic director showing some ‘Love’
Nick Kosmider
It is easy to be impressed by Arizona State athletics these days.There are an array of talented athletes who have dawned the maroon and gold over the last few years and provided many exciting moments on the court, field, pool, diamond, and just about every other playing apparatus possible.
Behind the scenes, though, one figure has been as instrumental as any to the Sun Devil’s success.
ASU Athletic Director Lisa Love is passionate about Sun Devil athletics and has created a culture of excitement about the school’s sports teams.
Since Love took the position in July of 2005, she has brought a contagious energy to the ASU campus.
Her success, though, has not come without risk.
Within her first year and a half on the job Love fired both the head football and basketball coaches and replaced them with coaches who came in with energy comprable to her own.
On the football field Dirk Koetter was removed to make way for Dennis Erickson, a proven winner at the college level.
The move paid off for Love as Erickson guided the Sun Devils to a 10-3 season and a second place finish in a very competitive Pac-10 conference.
Erickson’s firey personality and colorful antics have many in Tempe thinking the Devils will be a major contender on the national scene.
On the basketball court, Love fired Rob Evans who failed to get the Devils on a winning track, finishing 119-120 in his eight seasons as coach of the club.
Love proceeded to bring in another fierce competitor in Herb Sendek who in his second season with the Sun Devils this year led ASU to 19-12 record in the regular season which put them on the brink of the NCAA tournament.
In fact many across the country felt the Sun Devils were hosed when the tournament committee left Herb and his team on the outside looking in.
Despite surely being disappointed herself, Love used the rejection as a chance to help the ASU community rally around the team even tighter than before.
Though the Devils were left out of the NCAA Tournament, they were given a number one seed in the National Invitational Tournament, giving fans a chance to see the Devils play at home a few more times.
Love wanted to make sure everyone who wanted to catch the Devils again was able to.
She bought 200 tickets to the opening round game against Alabama State and allowed students to go to the games for free.
After the Sun Devils won the game, Erickson purchased 200 tickets of his own to allow students to go to the second round game against Southern Illinois for free.
The Sun Devils won again and moved into the quarterfinals of the tournament where Love and the gang in the athletic department bought another host of tickets so students could enjoy a great matchup against Florida for free again.
Though the Devils lost, the atmosphere in the gym was electric.
Love embodies what is supposed to be fun and exciting about sports.
She has made it about the students, something some school admistrators too quickly forget.
It is high time the community shows Lisa a little love of her own.
