This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Arizona State offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey might be the most interesting new assistant coach in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils almost lost him just as he started working in Tempe, because the head coaching position opened at his former employer, Southern Mississippi. But Lindsey chose to stay at ASU, and now he'll have to choose among three quarterback candidates: Manny Wilkins, Brady White and Bryce Perkins. They're similar in many ways, yet "each one of them have different things," ASU coach Todd Graham said during the Pac-12 coaches' spring media teleconference this week. One of the QBs will replace Mike Bercovici, the one-year starter who followed Taylor Kelly in ASU's spread offense. Lindsey was a longtime high school coach who spent one season with Gus Malzahn at Auburn and later did a remarkable job of revitalizing the Southern Miss offense. With the Sun Devils, Lindsey succeeded Mike Norvell, who became Memphis' head coach. "When you have new people and stuff, it does create new excitement," Graham said. "I did sense that." Graham said of Malzahn, "He and I developed this offense back in '07." That's true, when they worked together at Tulsa – and memorably beat BYU 55-47. ASU will rely on four returning starters along the offensive line to give the offense some stability in 2016, while trying to cut down on the turnovers that contributed to last season's downturn to a 6-7 record. The Sun Devils will open the season Sept. 3 vs. Northern Arizona. ASU hosts Utah on Nov. 10, a Thursday. – Kurt Kragthorpe