Frank Kush

Frank Kush
Biographical details
Born(1929-01-20)January 20, 1929
Windber, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 2017(2017-06-22) (aged 88)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Playing career
1950–1952Michigan State
Position(s)Defensive lineman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1955–1957Arizona State (line)
1958–1979Arizona State
1981Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1982–1984Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
1985Arizona Outlaws
Head coaching record
Overall176–54–1 (college)
11–4–1 (CFL)
11–28–1 (NFL)
8–10 (USFL)
Bowls6–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 Border (1959, 1961)
7 WAC (1969–1973, 1975, 1977)
Awards
AFCA Coach of the Year (1975)
Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1975)
First-team All-American (1952)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1995 (profile)

Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. As a player he earned All-American honors in 1952 as a defensive lineman playing for the Michigan State Spartans.

He was head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. He was notorious for his brutal training methods in the Arizona heat and left collegiate coaching in 1980 embroiled in a lawsuit and with his program under the cloud of NCAA sanctions.

Kush was also the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1981, the Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1982 to 1984, and the Arizona Outlaws of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1985.

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