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Former ASU AD Ray Anderson will be paid $950,000 to teach

ASU confirms former ASU Athletic Director Ray Anderson, who resigned Nov. 13, will continue to be paid his coaching salary to teach.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Former Arizona State University Athletic Director Ray Anderson will continue being paid his original $950,000 salary to teach at ASU, according to an ASU spokesperson who confirmed the information with 12News on Thursday Nov. 16. 

The spokesperson confirmed what was first reported by the campus newspaper, The State Press. 

Anderson resigned as athletic director Monday after being on the job since 2014. 

RELATED: ASU athletic director Ray Anderson steps down

Anderson teaches one class every spring at ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, according to ASU's online faculty catalog. It's a two hour and 55 minute course on Tuesdays titled "Negotiations & Alternative Dispute Resolutions in the Sports Industry." 

According to the course catalog for Spring 2024, Anderson is only listed as teaching that one course.

Credit: 12News
Former Athletic Director at Arizona State University Ray Anderson is listed as teaching one course in the spring of 2024.

Anderson's tenure in the athletic department was marked by the hiring of former NFL coach Herm Edwards, who Anderson said would act as a "CEO of football operations". 

Edwards was let go in 2022 in what was described as a "mutual" parting of ways. Edwards agreed to a 50% buyout of his contract for $4 million. 

Under Edwards as coach and Anderson as athletic director, ASU was placed under investigation for alleged recruiting violations during the COVID era. The results of that investigation have not come out, but ASU self-imposed a one year postseason ban on itself in August. 

RELATED: ASU football announces self-imposed postseason ban for 2023 season, reports say

During a weekly podcast that Anderson co-hosts, he said he did not regret hiring Edwards, and placed blame at the feet of the assistant coaches. 

"I don't regret bringing Herm here," Anderson said. "I do regret the outcome of the program. Because at the end of the day, we did not choose the right assistant coaches, with the right frame of mind to be absolutely compliant.”

An ASU spokesperson said "his salary comes from the same source as most other employees, university funds."

   

Arizona sports 

The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.  

The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC. 

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training. 

Sports

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