Donnie Henderson will let you know that he’s experienced. The 64-year-old interim defensive backs coach for the Sun Devils stepped into his role knowing he was the ultra-veteran of an already experienced position group. Henderson took over duties from Chris Hawkins after the 26-year-old assistant coach was put on paid administrative leave on Monday.

Henderson was brought to Arizona State by head coach Herm Edwards with the goal of molding and shaping Hawkins as a coach but is now tasked with the job of molding his position unit instead.

“Let me tell you something about Hawk,” said Henderson. “Hawk’s a great coach. That’s why I came here. To mentor him. He’s a great coach. He’s got their attention, they respect him, he communicates well, and he teaches them for the goal they are trying to achieve.

“Now that he’s gone, I’ve got to step up.”

With that plan put on hold because of the NCAA review surrounding the program, Henderson steps back into a familiar role.

“This is a dream come true for me,” said Henderson, who spent time as an assistant coach at Arizona State from 1992 to 1997, coaching defensive backs during ASU’s run to the Rose Bowl in the 1996 season. “After all the years I’ve been doing it, to come back here it’s been a pleasure for me.”

The relationship between Henderson and Edwards was strengthened during their time together with the New York Jets in 2004-05. For two seasons in the Meadowlands, Henderson served as the defensive coordinator for Edwards’ team, helping improve what was the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL into a top 10 one. In year two with the Jets, Henderson oversaw a defense that finished second in total passing yards allowed and fifth in interceptions.

Junior safety Kejuan Markham described Henderson as “for sure more old school (in comparison to Hawkins),” following Thursday night’s practice. “But that’s good. I feel like that’s something we need.”

Henderson reiterated Markham’s point, acknowledging that his coaching style may not be equivalent to the way Hawkins worked with the group, but his age doesn’t restrict him from relating to the players.

“I’m going to try to teach them the best that I can. I’ll give them some of the knowledge that I have from the years that I’ve been doing it,” he continued, “create a little bit more discipline, and hopefully, we can execute the calls.

“Shoot, I’m older… I tell those guys, ‘I’ve got a 17-year-old son just like you guys. I’m hearing it every day. I see it every day. That music that you listen to I know.’ I’m not that far gone.”

As super senior cornerback Chase Lucas exited the Verde Dickey Dome following practice Friday, Henderson was conveniently asked what it was like to coach someone with the experience that Lucas possesses. Before he could respond, Lucas pitched in an “I love you, man,” in Henderson’s direction.

“He’s having fun,” said Henderson. “He came back for a reason. He came back here to win a championship, and he leads in that way. One of the things I told him is that when he comes out here every day, pick something that he’s trying to get accomplished.”

Thursday night, graduate student safety DeAndre Pierce set lofty expectations for the Sun Devil defense, telling reporters that ASU’s goal was to come up with 30 sacks and 30 takeaways. While Henderson was supportive of Pierce’s optimistic target – “that’s good enough for me,” the interim defensive backs coach said – the experience and wisdom acquired by Lucas during his extended stay in Tempe led the Sun Devil cornerback captain to avoid sharing a quantifiable goal.

“I ain’t gonna lie,” Lucas started with a wry smile. “Two or three years ago, I told (the media) I wanted 20 interceptions, and we didn’t get that. So, I’m not gonna say anything else, man. I’m just gonna pray we keep pressing and keep having a good camp. I think everything else will take care of itself.”

Much of the discussion surrounding the first week of camp was around the dominance of defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce’s unit. Lucas has already been named to the All-Pac-12 Preseason First Team, as well as the pre-season watchlist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football.

With Lucas and other stout defensive backs in the secondary, ASU’s receivers struggled at times. During week two, the matchup began to even out as junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils receivers found their stride.

“When you start getting punched in the mouth, you’re gonna start to punch back,” said the sixth-year Sun Devil. “I think that’s what they were doing. They’re coached by a great set of coaches, and (offensive coordinator Zak Hill) is whipping up some plays. We told all the coaches; all I did was go back to the spring ball and look at what they did the first couple weeks and just copy that.

“They’re starting to get it… I know for a fact we’re not going to play a team like (Hill’s), but we have to be prepared for whatever comes at us.”

As noise about on-field expectations and off-field investigations continues to amplify, Lucas’ veteran voice continues to tell teammates to remain focused on their goals: a Pac-12 Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance.

“Every time you keep your head down, you’re not paying attention to the noise,” said Lucas. “Put up them blinders and put up the earphones and just keep pressing. Whatever is said on social media outside of this doesn’t really matter to us.”

Thursday marked exactly three weeks until Arizona State kicks off its season against Southern Utah. With three weeks to prepare, Henderson said his unit still needs time to be completely up to speed – an interesting thought given the defense’s superb start to camp.

“Oh, we’ve got a long ways to go,” said Henderson. “They’ll be fine. They’re preparing. They’ll make mistakes; we know that. But as long as they don’t make the same mistakes over and over, we’ll be fine. We’ve got an athletic secondary, and they can run.

“If you can run in this game; you’ve got a chance.”

Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news!