The Herald Online

Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Ashley Helliwell New ASU assistant coach Corey Batoon looks on at practice Wednesday after spending the previous 11 years on the coaching staff at Northern Arizona University.

The ASU football team has a new safeties coach less than two weeks after Jack Curtis resigned to join the coaching staff at the University of Memphis.

The Red Wolves announced this past weekend that Corey Batoon will join the coaching staff after spending the previous 11 seasons on the staff at Northern Arizona University.

"It was a great opportunity to join a great staff and a great opportunity to work with a guy that I had heard a lot of great things about in coach (Steve) Roberts," Batoon said. "Everything I've heard was confirmed when I got here. It's a great fit and I'm proud to be a part of this great community and football team."

Batoon went straight into coaching duties upon his hiring and has participated in both of the Red Wolves practices since returing from spring break.

"It's been really good. I've been scrambling a little bit trying to catch up and learn the terminology that they use," Batoon said. "It's all similar technique wise but it's the different language that I need to learn. I feel like after my first two practices we have all learned as a group."

Batoon has worked previosly with ASU defensive line coach Kevin Peoples and knew other Red Wolves assistants from different coaching clinics and conventions.

In his final season at Northern Arizona as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Batoon helped lead a Lumberjack defense that led the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing defense and sacks. Batoons resume includes coaching 42 All-Big Sky players and 2-time All American cornerback K.J. Gerard, who intercepted 19 passes during his career at NAU.

"It was a great 11 years at NAU and we had some great ball teams," Batoon said. "I got to be a part of the lives of a lot of different kids and I'm very proud of that. This was an opportunity for me to grow professionally and as a coach so I am going to make the best of it."

While at ASU Batoon will be coaching safeties and nickle backs for the Red Wolves, a posistion that returns both starters from last season and their back ups.

"He brings a lot of experience to the program," senior safety Evan Van Dolah said. "He was the co-defensive coordinator at Northern Arizona and was therefor eleven years so he is really sharp and has come in and learned the system really well."

"They (the players) work hard," Batoon said "They are hard workers and have been well coached."

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