Arizona State football coach Herm Edwards is finding coaches to his liking at rival schools. A year ago he plucked Prentice Gill from Oregon where he was working as an analyst and he lured Chris Hawkins from USC where he played and was a graduate assistant.

The latest addition to his staff also has Pac-12 ties with former USC standout Chris Claiborne named linebackers coach. Antonio Pierce had directed that group the last two years but he has been elevated to sole defensive coordinator in addition to his jobs as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

Claiborne, a three-year starter and Trojan captain in 1998, was USC’s first winner of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 1998. He was also a unanimous All-American and the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year after recording 120 tackles, 16 pass deflections and 6 interceptions (all team highs). 

He spent last season as an offensive quality control analyst at his alma mater.

MORE: New coach Klayton Adams looking forward to working with ASU offense

“I’m just excited for this opportunity. I have played the position for a long time and I look forward to contributing to the growth of these young men and helping them reach their potential,” Claiborne said in an ASU press release. “Just to be in the atmosphere with this coaching staff is a blessing. With coaches like Herm Edwards, Marvin Lewis, Antonio Pierce and Shawn Slocum in the room, it is an incredible environment for a young and new coach. It will be a great opportunity and it is important for me to always be growing and be learning constantly.” 

Like the majority of assistants on the ASU staff, Claiborne has NFL ties. He was selected by the Detroit Lions as the ninth pick of the 1999 NFL draft (as a junior) and played eight seasons  (1999-2002) in that organization, before moving on to the Minnesota Vikings (2003-04), St. Louis Rams (2005) and New York Giants (2006). He had 574 combined tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 30 pass defenses and 8 interceptions in his pro career. He recorded over 100 tackles in three seasons.

Claiborne, 42, was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame in 2011.

He served as head coach at Calabasas (Calif.) High School for two seasons prior to rejoining his alma mater (2018-19). He led Calabasas to a 17-6 overall mark in those seasons with stints as an assistant before that at Corona High, Oaks Christian and Long Beach Poly, all in Southern California.

He was a prep All-American and All-State pick at J.W. North High in Riverside.

The appointment of Claiborne makes the ASU staff complete with Adam Breneman elevated from graduate assistant to tight ends coach and the recent announcement of Klayton Adams as offensive line coach with Adams coming over from the Indianapolis Colts.

“Chris impressed us with his passion for the game of football, for coaching young men and for recruiting at an elite level,” Edwards said, in the same press release. “Chris will be able to relate to the young men on our team and to recruits nationwide.  I’ve always been a proponent of giving young coaches an opportunity and preparing them for success in their professional careers.”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602 444-4783.  Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.

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