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.

He played three years as a 5'7", 160-pound defensive lineman at Michigan State University from 1950 to 1952, earning All-American honors in 1952 helping the Spartans capture a national championship in his last season.

Kush's team didn't miss a beat, once again finishing 9–3 and defeating Rutgers in the Garden State Bowl.

That win would be one of the final highlights of Kush's tenure as controversy and scandal the next year toppled him from his head coaching position.

Not long after becoming head coach, he helped lead the drive for the referendum that elevated Arizona State to university status.

"[2] In September 1979 former Sun Devil punter Kevin Rutledge filed a $1.1 million lawsuit against the school, accusing Kush and his staff of mental and physical harassment that forced him to transfer.

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

During the next few weeks, overzealous fans turned things ugly when the insurance office of Rutledge's father suffered a fire and the family's attorney received two death threats.

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

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

Kush was allowed to coach the game, with the Sun Devils pulling off an emotional 12–7 upset of the sixth-ranked Huskies, fueled by the angry crowd incensed by the decision.

[2] In 1980, the NCAA slapped Arizona State with two years' probation and a ban from postseason play in 1981 for multiple violations under Kush.

[2] 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, however, with Kush quarreling with some Ti-Cats players when he attempted to ban the common practice of taping shoes and ankles.

"[5] During the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Colts had the dubious record of being the first NFL team since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to not win a single game, finishing 0–8–1.

Citing a desire to be closer to friends and family, Kush accepted a three-year contract with the United States Football League's Arizona Outlaws.

Kush also used his disciplinarian image to serve as director of the Arizona Boys Ranch, a facility used to reform juvenile offenders.