After 30 consecutive seasons of coaching in college football, Dave Christensen took a much-needed hiatus in 2016.
Christensen had just been let go as the run-game coordinator after one season at Texas A&M, so he and his wife, Susie, settled back in Missouri. He played lots of golf. He hosted a radio show in St. Louis. He also traveled to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff semifinals to watch his alma mater — Washington — play Alabama.
Then out of the blue, Arizona State coach Todd Graham called in March. He wanted an extra set of experienced eyes on what was going on with the Sun Devils’ program, and offered the former Wyoming coach a job — as the team’s non-coaching consultant.