Luginbill Expected to Keep 4 of Stolz’s SDSU Assistants

Four of the nine San Diego State assistant football coaches will be retained by Coach Al Luginbill, an athletic department spokesman said Sunday.

Offensive line coach Steve Devine, wide receivers coach Ron Mims, defensive coordinator Ed Schmidt and outside linebackers coach Dan Underwood will be retained, spokesman Dave Kuhn said.

Those who were not retained were offensive line coach Ulima Afoa, offensive coordinator Dana Bible, defensive backs/special teams coach Jon Hoke, running backs coach Wayne Moses and inside linebackers coach Mike Nelson.

All except Afoa had been hired by Denny Stolz, who was fired last week in this third season as the Aztec coach. Afoa, an SDSU graduate who was a co-captain on the 1980 squad, was the only holdover from the staff of Stolz’s predecessor, Doug Scovil.

All nine assistants were working under 1-year contracts that expire Feb. 15.

Luginbill, who takes over as coach Wednesday after 3 years as an associate athletic director, has said he plans to name his remaining 5 assistant coaches early next week. He also will designate coordinators and position assignments.

Two of the retained assistants have ties to Luginbill. Underwood coached outside linebackers when Luginbill was defensive coordinator at Arizona State from 1982-84. Mims played defensive back at Pasadena City College in 1968-69 when Luginbill was an assistant coach there.

Mims said that although Luginbill has withheld a final decision, he expects to return to coaching defensive backs, a position he handled in his first 2 seasons at SDSU before being switched to wide receivers.

Schmidt, who also coached the defensive line, said last week that he welcomed an opportunity to remain at SDSU even if it meant a job other than defensive coordinator. Schmidt was named defensive coordinator for this season after working 2 years with the offensive line.