Bobby Hurley out as ASU head coach after 11 seasons

Rossini on Hurley’s time at ASU:

“Bobby Hurley has made incredible contributions to the sport of basketball, and that certainly includes many memorable moments during his time as our Head Coach. While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney, and Bobby Jr. spent with us at ASU. We wish Coach well moving forward and we are thankful for his leadership while at ASU”

Hurley is a polarizing figures amongst ASU fans. When he first arrived in 2015, he was seen as a figure that would give the program credibility. Hurley inherited a team that had three straight seasons of above .500 records, but he failed to reach that mark in his first two seasons. It wasn’t until 2017 that he had his first taste of success, leading the Sun Devils to a 12-0 start, including a win over second-ranked Kansas in Lawrence.

Despite the electric start, that year’s team finished 8-12 in their last 20 games and just squeaked into the First Four of March Madness, where ASU was eliminated. Hurley’s third season began a trend of stellar starts but rough finish during conference plays that would began to follow any team he coached.

In 2018, the Sun Devils started 9-2, and a year later they began 8-2. Hurley’s squad ended a combined 26-18 in those seasons and only made one NCAA tournament appearance. Regardless, the program had three straight seasons of 20+ wins, but then COVID-19 struck and derailed the program. ASU returned to being back under .500 for the following two seasons and looked stuck in a rut.

It wasn’t until a stellar 2022 recruitment class, built by Hurley, that brought the program back into prominence. The Sun Devils started 11-1 and ranked in the AP top 25. Much like similar starts, the program fell off a cliff during conference play, going 12-12 the rest of the way and barely making March Madness.

Despite another first-round exit in the NCAA tournament, Hurley saw the success of recruiting high-scoring mid-major upperclassmen scorers to his team. He followed that formula for the next three years, including this latest season, going for a combined 44-53. ASU basketball had become a directionless program, with all eyes pointed at Hurley.

Entering a contract year, Hurley needed one last spark to keep his job. Even after a 9-2 start, once again, a tough conference schedule derailed the season finishing 8-14 in the final 22 games.

Early on into his tenure, Hurley brought a sense of prestigious to Tempe after his success two-year stint with Buffalo. The tides quickly turn, as Hurley seemed to be the chopping block every year. Season after season, reports were flying of ASU moving on from Hurley. But, time after time, he would return to coach.

It is quite surreal for Hurley to not be the face of the Sun Devils basketball program, a spot he’s held for 10 years. The choice could be in part because of the university moving on from former football head coach Herm Edwards to a lesser known name in Kenny Dillingham. Instead of relying on a high-profile coach, ASU hired a qualified coordinator to turn the program around.

The Sun Devils quickly made their first College Football appearance and are having the best success in years. Rossini is hoping that letting go of Hurley has the same effect to a basketball program that hasn’t won a NCAA tournament game since 2014.