AL LUGINBILL
Al Luginbill was named director of player personnel by Arizona State University head football coach Herm Edwards on May 10, 2018. Luginbill brings experience not only as an Arizona State defensive coordinator and assistant coach, with two Fiesta Bowl Championships on his record, but for the past twelve years he has owned and operated Fastak Enterprises, a company specializing in football player evaluation from the high school to the NFL level.
“Building an elite college football program begins with talent evaluation,” says Edwards. “Al has been one of the most respected talent evaluators in the game of football for over four decades. He has experience in talent evaluation at every level of football. He’s always been on the cutting edge of talent evaluation, whether it was by creating successful companies or developing concepts such as the annual Under Armour All-American game or NFL football overseas. We are extremely fortunate to have someone of his caliber join our staff.”
“I am honored to return to ASU, helping Coach Edwards and his fine coaching and support staff elevate the Sun Devil football program,” says Luginbill. “I am very impressed with Coach Edwards and the fine staff he has assembled at ASU. I look forward to working in such a dynamic environment. My family and I have always enjoyed our time on the Tempe campus.”
As part owner of Football Scouts Inc. from 2001 to 2006, Luginbill focused on NFL free agency and NFL draft prospects, developing a user-friendly searchable database for both. He then implemented ESPN’s high school recruiting website, also providing a user-friendly database. ESPN purchased Football Scouts, Inc. in 2006, abbreviating the name to Scouts, Inc., which it continues to use to this day.
From 2006 until 2011, Luginbill was contracted by the Denver Broncos to evaluate NFL players for free agency and college players who had first, second, and third round grades. Also, from 2008-2017, he worked with Under Armour and ESPN to implement the Under Armour All-America Football Game for high school seniors. His relationship with Under Armour was expanded to include all football-related events on the high school level, including camps, combines and other special events. Fastak Enterprises was involved in the creation of UC Report, a recruiting database that specializes in the evaluation of high school football prospects at the freshman and sophomore level.
Luginbill began his coaching career at Pasadena City College as a linebacker coach. He became an assistant coach at Arizona State under Frank Kush, as the defensive back coach in 1972, helping ASU to a Fiesta Bowl win. After a return to Pasadena CC as head coach and a national championship in the Junior Rose Bowl, and a stint at the University of Wyoming, Luginbill returned to ASU in 1979, eventually becoming defensive coordinator. He helped lead the Sun Devils to another Fiesta Bowl victory. Among
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San Diego State named Luginbill as its head football coach in 1989, where he spent the next five years. He was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1991 after earning a berth in the Freedom Bowl. Among his standout recruits at SDSU were NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and six-time Pro Bowler La’Roi Glover. Keith Turley was a first-round draft pick and Darnay Scott and Will Blackwell were both selected in the second round. Assistant coach Sean Payton went on to coach the New Orleans Saints, leading them to their first Super Bowl championship. Other former assistants under Luginbill’s tutelage who went on to earn head coaching positions were Curtis Johnson at Tulane and Steve Fairchild at Colorado State.
In 1995, Luginbill was hired by the NFL as director of football operations and coach of the Amsterdam Admirals of the World League, later known as NFL Europe. Being responsible for all aspects of player evaluation, Luginbill had access to all 32 NFL player personnel departments. Draft preparation included evaluating young players that did not make NFL active rosters. Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme, Jay Fiedler, Darren Bennett, Tom Nutten, Adam Vinatieri and Bobby Hamilton all became successful NFL starters after playing in this organization.
Following his success with the NFL Luginbill was hired by the XFL as director of football operations and head coach of the Los Angeles Extreme, leading his team to the XFL Championship in 2001. Quarterback Tommy Maddox was MVP of the league and went on to become the NFL Comeback Player of the Year the following season.
Luginbill earned his bachelor’s degree (business/history/physical education) from California State Polytechnic University and master’s degree (higher education and administration) from USC. He and his wife, Sue, live in Chandler. They have grown twins, Tom and Kerry. Kerry, lives nearby with her family and Tom is a football analyst with ESPN and resides in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with his wife Tennille and their son Quaid and daughter Keaton.
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