Ray Anderson
Anderson in 2017
Biographical details
Alma materStanford University
Harvard University
Playing career
Football
1973–1975Stanford
Position(s)Wide Receiver
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2014–2023Arizona State

Ray Anderson is the former athletic director and current professor of law at Arizona State University.[1][2] He graduated from Stanford University, where he lettered in football and baseball, and Harvard Law School.[3]

Education

Anderson attended Stanford University. He played for the Stanford football team as a wide receiver and was also on the baseball team.[4] He earned his degree in political science in 1976. He then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1979.[5]

Sports administration career

NFL

Before joining the Atlanta Falcons, Anderson was an agent for AR Sports. He was an agent to multiple NFL players alongside coaches. Some of the NFL head coaches he represented include Brian Billick, Tony Dungy, Dennis Green, and Herm Edwards.[6] From 2002 to 2006, Anderson was the vice president of the Falcons. Anderson would leave to become the NFL’s senior director of football operations and was later promoted to executive vice president of football operations.[7] Anderson announced that he would step down from vice president of football operations in 2013 to pursue new opportunities.[8]

Arizona State

On January 9, 2014, he was announced as the athletic director of the Arizona State Sun Devils.[9] During his time as athletic director, Anderson oversaw the $268 million renovation to Sun Devil Stadium and the construction of Mullett Arena.[10] He also negotiated an eight-year, $38 million apparel agreement with Adidas, and added four varsity sports: men’s hockey, women’s lacrosse, triathlon, and men’s tennis.[11] In 2016, Forbes listed named Anderson as one of the influential minorities in sports.[12][13]

In February 2021, Anderson received a five-year extension that runs until 2026.[14] That extension made Anderson the second-highest paying athletic director in the country just behind of Chris Del Conte, the athletic director of the Texas Longhorns.[15] In 2023, Anderson was in charge when most of the Sun Devils Athletics programs transitioned conferences from the Pac-12 to the Big 12.[16][17] On November 13, 2023, he stepped down as athletic director to become a Professor in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.[2]

Criticisms

Although he had some success as an athletic director, he has been heavily criticized by Arizona State fanbase for underperforming in major collegiate sports such as football and baseball.[18] He has been criticized for keeping his former client and close friend, Herm Edwards, as head coach of the football team, despite being in the middle of an NCAA investigation due to recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period.[19][20]

In 2020, Anderson was accused of ignoring sexual harassment allegations regarding an ASU booster. Former ASU employee, David Cohen filed a $1.5 million lawsuit after he said that Anderson fired him after he repeatedly ignored claims that Bart Wear, a prominent basketball booster, sexually harassed his wife and two other women.[21] It was revealed that one of the two other women was the wife of ASU basketball head coach Bobby Hurley.[22] On June 21, 2021 Cohen announced a federal lawsuit against the school.[23] Despite Bobby Hurley being at odds with Anderson, on March 23, 2023 Hurley received a two-year extension as head coach.[24]

Anderson has also been criticized for not retaining ASU softball head coach, Trisha Ford, who was a 2-time Pac-12 Softball Coach of the Year. She would leave and become the head coach of the Texas A&M softball program.[25][26] Despite criticism and speculation, ASU president Michael Crow stated in an ESPN article on October 25, 2022, that Anderson will remain as Athletic Director.[27]

Days after Arizona State joined the Big 12, Anderson received backlash from the West Virginia fanbase and the media for a statement he made at a press conference. He quotes "I promise I'm not going to Morgantown... I'm going to sign that to Jean Boyd. He can go to Morgantown. But send me to Texas and the rivalry with Arizona and starting a new one with BYU and Utah and Colorado."[28] Anderson later apologized to West Virginia athletic director, Wren Baker for making the comment.[29] In 2023, Anderson received backlash from the Sun Devil fanbase, boosters, and the media for announcing a self-imposed bowl ban for the football program just days before the season opener.[30]

Personal life

Anderson and his wife, Buffie, have a son and a daughter.

References

  1. ↑ "Ray Anderson named athletic director by Arizona State Sun Devils". January 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Ray Anderson steps down as ASU athletic director". ASU News. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Ray Anderson – Vice President for University Athletics – Staff Directory".
  4. ↑ Chen, Peter. "Stanford: Famous Football-Baseball Stars". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Athletic Director". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ "ESPN.com: NFL - Falcons turn to ex-agent Anderson". a.espncdn.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Ex-Falcons executive accused of ignoring harassment allegations". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ray Anderson to pursue new opportunity following 2013 season". NFL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ "NFL's Ray Anderson named ASU athletic director". ASU News. January 9, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Ortiz, Jenna. "Arizona State's new sports facility gets its name: Mullett Arena". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ Morgan, Craig (January 9, 2017). "Ray Anderson's 3-year ASU tenure marked by sweeping changes". Arizona Sports. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ Theodore, Shane (February 25, 2016). "DDD: Carson to play in Turkey". House of Sparky. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ Belzer, Jason. "The Most Influential Minorities In Sports". Forbes. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  14. ↑ Metcalfe, Jeff. "Arizona State extending athletic director Ray Anderson through February 2026". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Druin, Donnie (September 15, 2021). "Report: Arizona State AD Earned Second-Highest Pay in Nation Last Year". Arizona State Sun Devils on Sports Illustrated: News, Analysis, and More. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  16. ↑ "ASU President Michael Crow, AD Ray Anderson explain move from Pac-12 to Big 12". 12news.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ https://sports360az.com/2023/08/arizona-state-a-d-ray-anderson-on-sun-devils-moving-to-big-12/
  18. ↑ Haller, Doug. "Five takeaways from Kenny Dillingham's ASU introduction". The Athletic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ Gardner, Michelle. "Herm Edwards out as ASU football coach; Shaun Aguano named interim HC". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Arizona State football fans call for Ray Anderson to be fired after Herm Edwards firing". Yahoo Sports. September 19, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  21. ↑ Harris, Anne Ryman and Craig. "Ex-ASU employee says he was fired after reporting athletic booster's sexual harassment". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ Ryman, Craig Harris and Anne. "Emails show rift between ASU men's basketball coach Hurley, AD Anderson over sex harassment claims". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Civil lawsuit claims Arizona State retaliated against ex-official for insisting sexual harassment allegations be investigated". Yahoo Sports. July 12, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Arizona State gives coach Hurley 2-year extension". ESPN.com. March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  25. ↑ Cluff, Jeremy. "Arizona State softball fans sound off on Ray Anderson after Trisha Ford Texas A&M hire". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  26. ↑ Ortiz, Jenna. "Texas A&M to hire ASU softball coach Trisha Ford". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  27. ↑ "ASU committed to AD Anderson, president says". ESPN.com. October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  28. ↑ Callihan, Schuyler (August 5, 2023). "Arizona State AD: 'I Promise I'm Not Going to Morgantown'". Sports Illustrated West Virginia Mountaineers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  29. ↑ "ASU's Ray Anderson apologizes to WVU for Morgantown joke". Arizona Sports. August 9, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  30. ↑ Morrison, Jesse (August 29, 2023). "Kenny Dillingham moving forward following Arizona State bowl ban". Arizona Sports. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
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