19 Facts About Frank Kush

Frank Joseph Kush was an American football player and coach.

Frank Kush was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1995.

When Devine left in 1958 to become the head coach at the University of Missouri, Frank Kush was promoted as head coach of the Sun Devils, a post he would hold for the next 22 years.

Frank Kush was notorious for abusing his players both physically and emotionally.

That player called would charge the player in the middle and the two would engage in padded full contact until Frank Kush blew the whistle again.

Whichever of the two players gave the best effort would go back to the circle, while the player "dogging it" would remain until Frank Kush decided he could quit.

Frank Kush would run a running back into the line time and time again so he could get used to the punishment he would likely take in games.

However, just five days later, Frank Kush had a change of heart and returned to Arizona State.

The most dramatic charge was that Frank Kush had punched Rutledge in the mouth after a bad punt in the October 28,1978, game against the Washington Huskies.

On October 13,1979, Frank Kush was fired as head coach for interfering with the school's internal investigation into Rutledge's allegations.

Athletic director Fred Miller cited Frank Kush's alleged attempts to pressure players and coaches into keeping quiet.

Frank Kush moved to the Canadian Football League the following year, serving as head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Controversy followed him to the CFL with Frank Kush quarreling with some Ti-Cats players when he attempted to ban the common practice of taping shoes and ankles.

Frank Kush brought his heavy-handed coaching style with him to the NFL.

Frank Kush's reputation was such that quarterback John Elway, picked by the Colts first overall in the 1983 NFL draft, declared he would rather sit out or play baseball rather than play for Frank Kush, whom he and his father, coach Jack Elway, hated.

Controversy continued when during training camp in the summer of 1983, second year receiver Holden Smith poured root beer over Frank Kush after having been cut from the team; Frank Kush had ordered the entire squad to re-run a drill after accusing Smith of loafing.

In 1995, Frank Kush was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

On July 26,2000, Frank Kush was officially hired by Arizona State as an assistant to the athletic director, serving as a fund-raiser for the athletic department.

Frank Kush died on June 22,2017, at the age of 88.