Mar 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bobby Hurley Era Officially Over at Arizona State

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 6:19 PM ET

TEMPE -- The 11-year reign of Bobby Hurley as head coach of the Arizona State men's basketball program is coming to an end.

The 54-year old head coach is set to inform his team of the decision to depart according to Arizona Sports insider John Gambadoro.

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"Bobby Hurley will be meeting with the team any minute discuss his departure from ASU. Hurley was hopeful the team would hear it from him before it got out in the public. But Bobby Hurley has been informed he will not be back ending an 11-year run as head coach of ASU."

Chris Karpman of SunDevilSource added on that the expectation is that Hurley will be placed on administrative leave for the next two months, as his contract is set to expire on June 30. This puts a tenure that included 185 victories to a close, and sets up AD Graham Rossini to make a major hire to set the foundation for the future of Sun Devil basketball.

Remembering the Good Times of Hurley Era

While the Hurley era is looked at as a mixed bag by many within the program, there were undeniably stretches of brilliance as well - notably the three seasons between 2017-20. The program would have reached three consecutive NCAA tournaments had the 2019-20 season not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Desert Financial Arena was regularly an electic environment, the Sun Devils were able to get to as high as number three in the AP poll, and Hurley cultivated a culture that was in position to thrive in the Pac-12 for years to come.

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The 2025-26 season is arguably one of Hurley's best coaching jobs during his tenure as a parting shot - the head coach took the team to 17 victories despite facing a dramatic cutdown in NIL and general program budget.

Now, Rossini will look to bring in a home-run hire that has the ability to build off of the potential that Hurley unlocked from the program in his early tenure - will that ultimately be attainable?

Will New Coach Build Off of Hurley's Foundation?

Arizona State is viewed as a mid-to-lower tier job in the Big 12, with a subdued budget compared to fellow conference rivals being cited as a drawback, while location and lack of sky-high expectations serving as drawing points.

While the resources have yet to be fully unlocked, there is potential that Rossini and program alumn James Harden would be all-in on supporting the incoming head coach. The location and impending renovations at Desert Financial Arena are also set to be major factors, as the facilities will be set to be in-line with other programs in the conference in the years to come. Only time will tell if the upcoming hire is the right one, but the foundation is shaping up to put whoever the choice is in an optimal spot.