JONESBORO (3/20/09) ? Arkansas State Head Football Coach Steve Roberts announced Friday that assistant football coach Jack Curtis has stepped down from his position as the Red Wolves co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach to accept a position on the University of Memphis football coaching staff.
Curtis spent the last seven seasons with the ASU football program and was part of the coaching staff that led the program to the 2005 New Orleans Bowl, its most victories over NCAA FBS opponents in a single season, a 26-8 record at ASU Stadium and to its first ever victory over a BCS school since it joined NCAA FBS. The Red Wolves have also been bowl eligible three of the last four years.
“We are certainly disappointed to lose Coach Curtis,” said Roberts. “He has been an integral part of the building of the Arkansas State football program. He has done a great job on the field scheme-wise and teaching fundamentals and techniques. He's also done an excellent job recruiting for our program and represented us in a tremendous fashion. We've been together a long time, nine years, and he's been with some of the guys on our staff for 15 or 16 years. I certainly wish him only the best.”
During his time with the Red Wolves, ASU had 16 defensive players named All-Sun Belt Conference. He coached safety Tyrell Johnson, who was the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a second-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was also the position coach for Khayyam Burns, who was a three-time All-Sun Belt Conference choice and signed a rookie free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. Additionally, defensive end Alex Carrington was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in Curtis' last season with the Red Wolves.
The ASU defense ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference in 2007 and No. 2 in 2008, 2006 and 2002. ASU's defense jumped up 41 spots from being ranked 80th in 2001 to 39th in 2002, Curtis' first season at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves have ranked among the top-40 teams in the nation in passes intercepted two of the last three seasons, including the 2006 campaign when ASU finished ranked tied for ninth in the country.
“I'm proud to have been a part of something special at Arkansas State University,” said Curtis. “I'm happy to have been a part of some great accomplishments since they've been I-A, some big wins, a bowl-game appearance and being bowl eligible three out of the last four years. I think that is quite a feat to take this program up to not only one of the best in the Sun Belt Conference, but to a level of great respectability throughout the nation. I credit Coach Roberts for having the leadership to do that and for his loyalty to his coaches. I believe from the bottom of my heart that he has got one of the best staff's in the country and they have done a wonderful job.”
Before being named co-defensive coordinator at ASU, Curtis was the defensive backs coach for five years at Northwestern (La.) State. Under his tutelage, six former NSU players went on to the NFL. He has coached 12 players (six drafted, six free agents) who ended up in NFL camps as well as coaching six first-team All-America selections.
Prior to joining the NSU staff, Curtis was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State until 1990 and was then a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons. Following his MSU stint, Curtis spent 1993 as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Western New Mexico. He began his coaching career in 1987 as a student coach at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. After graduation, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Henderson State.
Roberts said that a search for the open coaching position on ASU's staff will begin immediately and progress as quickly as possible with the Red Wolves already in their 2009 spring camp.
