Ex-NFL LB Antonio Pierce expected to join Herm Edwards’ staff at ASU

Herm Edwards has decided to leave his ESPN studio job to become the head coach at Arizona State, and it sounds like he is taking a former colleague with him.

Former New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who worked with Edwards as an ESPN NFL studio analyst for several years, is reportedly joining Edwards’ staff at ASU. According to SunDevilSource, the 39-year-old is the first known member of Arizona State’s 2018 defensive staff after defensive coordinator Phil Bennett recently announced he will not return for personal reasons.

Brown has coached high school football at Long Beach Poly the past four seasons, and he announced on Thursday that he is stepping down. The school, which has produced a number of NFL players including DeSean Jackson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marcedes Lewis and Willie McGinnest, went 35-11 in four seasons under Pierce. They had to forfeit four games due to the use of an ineligible player in 2015.

“It’s a special place and the kids are great, the best thing about Long Beach Poly is the student-athletes, they’re incredible people,” Pierce said of Long Beach Poly, via the Press-Telegram. “Watching those kids go to college, seeing families smile on signing day, I’ll never forget that.”

JoJo Wicker, an ASU junior defensive lineman who has not decided if he will return for his senior season, played for Pierce at Long Beach Poly. It’s unclear if Pierce’s addition to the ASU staff will impact his decision about whether or not to declare for the NFL Draft.

Pierce played his college ball at Arizona. He played for the Washington Redskins from 2001-2004 before finishing his career with the New York Giants from 2005-2009, helping the 2007 team spoil the New England Patriots’ perfect season.