Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson resigns after nearly a decade

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Ray Anderson is stepping down after nearly a decade as Arizona State’s athletic director.

Anderson will remain at the school as a professor of practice and senior advisor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

“It has been a privilege to serve as ASU’s athletic director for nearly a decade,” Anderson said in a statement Monday. “We have entered an unprecedented era where the number and magnitude of changes in the college sports landscape are astounding.

“As I approach my seventh decade of life, these are not matters that my leadership would be able to corral during my tenure. Continuity of leadership will be needed, and I am choosing to step aside to let the university find that leader.”

Jim Rund, ASU senior vice president for educational outreach and student services, will serve as interim athletic director. Rund was the interim athletic director when Steve Patterson left for the University of Texas in 2013.

A former NFL executive and agent, Anderson was hired in 2014 to reshape Arizona State athletics. He was instrumental in the school’s decision to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12 next year and helped land one of the largest naming rights deals in college sports history when Sun Devil Stadium became Mountain America Stadium.

Anderson also took criticism for the hiring of former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Herm Edwards, who was fired three games into his fifth season in 2022. Anderson also was at the helm when the NCAA began investigating the football program for illegal recruiting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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