OT: Don't let the Tenn fiasco distract you from ASU hiring Herm Edwards

Submitted by Occam's Razor on

Holy shit. This press conference was uhh...interesting? 

 

Chances are he doesn't know what ASU's mascot is either. 

I Like Burgers

December 4th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^

The absolute dumbest part of this whole thing is that they paid $12M to buyout and fire Graham, and then pay Herm probably $3.5M a year and make him use all of Graham's assistants.  So ASU decided they liked the assistant coaches, but it was worth roughly $15M to put a new guy in charge of the assistants.

And they expect to be at the top of the Pac-12 South and going to top tier bowl games.  A Pac-12 South that has USC ramping up again and a UCLA that just hired Chip Kelly.

Oh, and after ASU opens with UTSA next year, they have Michigan State at home and then road games at San Diego State and Washington.  Pretty decent chance Herm starts off 1-3.

I Love Lamp

December 4th, 2017 at 6:57 PM ^

Beat MSU the next two years. Thanks. As far as the hire, man, do ASU fans have to be pissed. Unless football to them is like Kansas, where I’m sure not many people give a damn. I will be following along to see how this all plays out.

ChuckWood

December 4th, 2017 at 7:03 PM ^

ASU Alum and very informed on this hire and the process that fired Graham and hired Herm.  Our AD, Ray Anderson, and Herm are good friends.  Ray is pushing to keep our coordinators and other staff to let Herm focus on recruiting.  

It should be a good hire for ASU.  

Regarding Graham.  Todd Graham left our program in a much better place than where he found it.  New stadium, better acedemics, etc.  However, his recruiting has steadily gotten worse.  Mediocrity went on for too long.  

SHub'68

December 4th, 2017 at 10:21 PM ^

consultant-speak gobbledygook like that memo from ASU as if my life depended on it. But in the sports world? Has to be worse. This is going to be interesting to watch play out...it's as if ASU sat through a consultative presentation from Dave Brandon's MBAs and developed on it further...

HelloHeisman91

December 4th, 2017 at 7:22 PM ^

I’m an ASU alumnus as well and this whole thing is a clusterfuck disaster. From the statement issued on Sunday night making the hire official to today’s presser. How you can think this is a good hire is puzzling. He was introduced today, spoke to how committed he is and then drops that he has to return ESPN to work for them this week. Early signing is in 16 fucking days and the ASU Head football coach is going to be working on the other side of the country for a different employer. IT’S A FUCKING JOKE.

lilpenny1316

December 4th, 2017 at 7:32 PM ^

You guys beat Washington and Arizona this year.  Todd Graham had the highest winning percentage of any coach there since John Cooper.

EDIT: Oh my hell.  You guys fired a coach who won 10 games twice in six seasons, and was back on the upswing.  This is like firing Frank Solich for Bill Callahan or firing Bo Pelini for Mike Riley.  

I like Herm.  I hope this works out, especially when you play Sparty the next two years, but this feels like a case of another program thinking they are better than what their history says they are.

Jgruss42

December 4th, 2017 at 7:46 PM ^

Why does this seem like a good hire for ASU in your opinion?

I suspect that having a coach with previous NFL head coaching experience might be an asset. But lots of programs have ties to the NFL from current and former players, coaches and staff. And although he had a long string of head coaching assisgnments, his last hire was 9 years ago. 

He was (and appearantly still is) a commentator for ESPN, so he has good name recognition. And that is a legitimate value when you walk into somebody's house. Bringing in a minor celebrity to a football house would be appealing to lots of recruits ASU is aiming for. 

So, maybe he can be the face of the program, but leave the nuts and bolts to the pretty solid assistant coaches that are already in place? I think if that is the upside, it's kinda thin for a power 5, and kinda short sighted for a program that was doing a really decent job of turning themselves around without Ole Miss style issues.

Personally, I think it is far more likely that the current AD just wanted to bring in "HIS GUY".

 

UofM626

December 4th, 2017 at 8:50 PM ^

On most of what you said. ASU has lots of good players, the secondary is a mess but the D Line and O Line have good parts, they return like 15 or so starters next year. Graham was done dirty. I am very very close to this program as I many contacts on the team w players and there fathers (who are my buddies) Herm hire is horrible and stinks of nepotism. Bet you didn't know that Ray has replaced 15 sports coaches since his hire! Press conference is all I need to see to know ASU FUCKED UP! Should of waited one more year as the returning team is loaded! Hoke all over again

LSAClassOf2000

December 4th, 2017 at 7:17 PM ^

Oh, I loved it when he pointed out that he believed the problem with society - forget football, although maybe he meant that too - was that people don't huddle anymore.

It was at this moment that I finally decided that this is going to be so much fun that ASU fans will not know what to do with themselves.