OT: Arizona State hires Herm Edwards (63) as Head Coach

I thot at first it was our dearly departed Herm from the board. They are both about the same age and have similar qualifications. #ourhermisthebetterherm

I can honestly say that this program is a sleeping giant. Sort of like a program that traditionally underperforms in the SEC. They have so many built-in advantages with climate and proximity to rich recruiting areas, that if they were to ever repeat the success the program enjoyed to get it to a point where it joined the PAC 12.

It also appears to be a program that former pro coaches go to after finishing up in the NFL or building a resume to go work in the league. Almost every one of their recent coaches has had a stint in the NFL as a head coach or assistant.

The list includes Dan Devine, Frank Kush, undoubtedly the greatest coach at ASU, former Lions and MSU coach Darryl Rogers, Dennis Erickson, Dirk Koetter, and Todd Graham.

Of course, John Cooper also had a brief stint there including a bowl win over Michigan which led to his hiring at Ohio State and a Michigan revenge streak that is now been buttressed by the Buckeyes' last two hires. Curoously, part of Cooper's staff at Ohio State was Lovie Smith. So now, the coaching carousel has come full circle.

ASU football actually predates most programs in the nation. They started playing football there in 1896. The school, howver, has a 14-14 bowl record. And the Fiesta Bowl was created for the benefit of the program after Frank Kush raised the program/s national profile so that it could join the PAC 10. The Fiesta Bowl has since become one of the premiere bowl games in the country.

The longest tenured coach at the school since Kush has been Bruce Snyder who was hired after a successful season at Cal and then coached the Sun Devils for eight years.

We need legendary MGoBoarder Herm’s opinion on this.

Any chance we get back in on Jarrett Patterson, 3-star OT from CA?

Two main points: 

1. Who exactly does everyone expect ASU to go get?  Chip Kelly, Dan Mullen, Mike Gundy, etc. aren't walking through that door.  For that matter, I doubt any up and comers (Brohm, Moorehead, etc.) are running to Tempe either.  The only semi-realistic name I heard was Kevin Sumlin, who would have been preferable.  

2. The OP said Edwards is 54-74 as an NFL coach (not a .333 winning percentage, like he mentioned), but that's dragged down by going 6-26 his last two years coaching a terrible KC team w/ Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard at QB.  Can't win without talent.  Based on comments made by people who know/worked with him, they're all really high on his ability to recruit.  If he can get some good players, I could see him consistently winning 8 games.  The Pac12 south could be tough soon w/ the addition of UCLA.  8 wins a year at ASU w/ the occassional 10 win season is good for them.  

Incompetent college ADs are. Must be an easy job.

- this will go about as well as the mike Riley hire at Nebraska

Let's all point and laugh at Arizona State!

Vol fans are even saying, 'At least we aren't Arizona State!" right now.

Chip Lindsey, the former Arizona State OC, is at Auburn beating Bama.

This one doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Edwards has been out of coaching for nearly a decade. He hasn't coached at the college level since the '80s. Does he even remember how to recruit? Will he even care to while he's there? Yeah he's been commentating so he's still around the game, but coaching and commentating are apples to oranges. 

I suppose if he hires the right coordinators it could work out, but I just don't see how this will go over well in the long run. Seems more like a PR stunt than anything else. I can see how his personality would mesh well with recruits, but the on-field results are what matter most. He's also in his 60s, so this guy is not a long-term solution. Just a stop-gap until a better option comes along. 

But did Herm turn down Tennessee first?

I like Herm. 63 is the new 72? It probably won't work out but I'm glad his age didn't disqualify him.

John Madden to Tennessee?????

I'm sure this will end well for the Sun Devils. Beyond the obvious conflict of interests with the AD and the agent, how could you look at AARP member Herm Edwards and feel like he brings anything to your team.

As I have lots of connections there and know many of the kids on the team. I personally am not a huge fan of the move to bring in Herm. There is a lot of back door things going on over there right now and it's sad because Graham was a great coach and mentor to those kids at ASU.

Anderson has been planning this move for well over a year now in terms of getting rid of Graham and bringing in someone w NFL Experience. All Graham did was revive and maintain that program. ASU returns basically there whole team next year and Anderson knew he had to dump Graham now. ASU will be very dangerous next year. Rumor was he was gonna fire Graham the Washington game as he expected to get boat raced. Well that didn't happen.

For this that have never been to ASU before, the other poster has mentioned that it is a sleeping Giant. Agreed 100%, the proximity to LA and the facilities are better then 90% of the country. The field is in immaculate condition, the nutrition program is amazing as well. I've walked and been to the new facilities on game days and talked w the staff many times. That school could be a monster if it's done right.

Graham has been a sitting duck for years now S Anderson wants his "own" guy in as the head football coach. Herm and Anderson have been talking about this for well over a year now. Also Anderson has replaced 15 head coaches at the University since taking over.

I do believe I am hearing the COMPLETE STAFF will return under Herm Edwards. And that Herm will facilitate duties and stay out of Napier way. Personally I think he's the coach of the future and there just waiting for him to get a bit more experience.

Now having spent many weeks at the UA Game in Orlando let me say this. HERM EDWARDS is loved by the recruits and there parents. He is very motivational and recruits eat it up. I've witnessed this the last 3-4 years w Herm and continue to be impressed w how he handles 5* talent. Will that translate to wins? Who knows. But I know for a fact the brass at ASU is about 50/50 w this hire and there are more people upset Graham is gone then Herm is here.

Overall this is likely to be a disaster of a hire long term for ASU for all the obvious reasons.  But I will say this - I think Herm Edwards is a phenomenal motivator and public speaker.  I've heard him talk several times and he is great in that role.  I think in the locker room of his team and the living rooms of his recruits he is going to blow them away.  

The problem is that he is horribly unqualified in all the other ways - on field coaching, knowledge of the college game, age, success, etc.  The only way this works is if he gets some great coordinators to do all the heavy lifting on the field and he focuses on the CEO type of stuff for a couple of years to get them off on the right foot before handing it over to those guys.  That's a HUGE risk and why this doesn't make sense.  

But listening to him speak and the vast knowledge he has and the message he sends - he will be a good influence on the kids and the program.....they just probably won't be better football players because of it, just better people.  

I don't think the hiring makes sense, but I like Herm Edwards. I hope he does some damage (in a good way) in the Pac-12.

I like a lot of the coaches in the Pac-12 now. Mike Leach, Chip Kelly, Herm Edwards, Willie Taggart, even Rich Rodriguez, etc. It's a good group overall.

Same coordinators, so if any, the recruiting impact is positive (Having a known big NFL-ish name who has always seemed like a good Mentor does more good than "hasn't coached in 9 years" does bad).   It's more like a raffle ticket than a state lottery ticket, it's still a long shot but it could work.