In a recent interview with DevilsDigest.com, Arizona State Head Coach Todd Graham, stressed the importance of special teams' improvement as a necessary ingredient for a Pac-12 championship. Today, the school has announced that it has hired Shawn Slocum, who served last season as Green Bay's special teams' coordinator, to be associate head coach, as well as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.

"Shawn has 25 years of coaching experience to his credit, with almost all of that coming at the elite college level," Graham said in a statement to TheSunDevils.com. "We have enjoyed a high level of success, both offensively and defensively and I have wanted to take our special teams play to a championship level. This hire accomplishes that. Shawn comes from a football family and he has coached and recruited at the highest competitive level. Shawn's addition will further complement the fine staff that we already have in place. This is the best coaching staff I have ever had as a head coach."

"I am looking forward to working with Coach Graham," Slocum relayed to Sundevils.com. "I have followed his teams and success for a long period of time. I'm very impressed with the success of the Sun Devil football program. I am looking forward to bringing my family to Tempe and the ASU community and to competing for national championships at ASU."

Slocum coached tight ends, linebackers and special teams at Texas A&M from 1991 to 1997, and had stops at Pittsburgh, USC and Ole Miss before joining the Green Bay Packers in 2006.

Slocum became the Packers special teams' coordinator in 2009, and served in the role during the Packers 2010 Super Bowl season and subsequent four division titles. His accomplishments led him to coaching in three Pro Bowls. Last season the Packers struggled on some aspects of special teams, finishing last in blocked kicks allowed (7), and punts inside the 20 (14), but kicker Mason Crosby did make 24/40 field goal attempts, and the Packers average starting field position (28.6 yard line) was good for 11th.

In addition to the Slocum hiring, senior associate head coach and defensive ends coach Paul Randolph is moving into an administrative role within the ASU Athletic department. Randolph has been a member of Graham's coaching staff since 2006, and will now serve in the role of Associate Athletics Director for Championship Life under the Director for Student-Athlete Development, Jean Boyd.

According to SunDevils.com, the personnel moves are pending until University paperwork is complete.