What you need to know about the Arizona State coaching search after Herm Edwards firing

So, the Sun Devils finally did it. They finally fired coach Herm Edwards and brought that sagging, lagging era to a merciful end.

Obviously, USC fans won’t have to worry about Arizona State in two years. The Sun Devils will not join USC in the Big Ten in 2024. However, they’re still in USC’s recruiting footprint. They are in a neighboring state. It is in USC’s interest to see how Arizona State fares as a program. In the unlikely event that ASU gets a rock-star head coach and becomes a powerhouse, that would cut into USC’s recruiting prowess. As is, the Trojans were able to get Eric Gentry in the transfer portal from Arizona State and are poised to get more players from the Sun Devils as long as that program drifts along in a state of irrelevance. ASU remaining mediocre helps USC. The Trojans don’t want the Devils to find a gem.

So, let’s inform you on what to look for in this head coaching search.

THE INTERIM COACH

NOTABLE

KEY QUESTION

RAY ANDERSON

Dec 31, 2019; El Paso, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards, middle, celebrates with ASU AD Ray Anderson, left. Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

This is an important point: Ray Anderson is the athletic director at Arizona State. He hired Herm Edwards. ASU President Michael Crow has not yet fired Anderson. Many people inside the ASU program think Anderson needs to be fired, not just Herm. If Anderson makes the hire, many Arizona State insiders think the fundamental problems surrounding the football program will not be fixed.

THE NCAA

University logos cover a wall in the lobby of NCAA headquarters Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Indianapolis.

A reminder: The NCAA has not yet handed down a punishment for COVID-19 recruiting violations committed during the 2020 pandemic season. Hiring a coach involves informing the coach of that situation and what it means.

CANDIDATES

ALEX GRINCH

Apr 23, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Alex Grinch during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s very unlikely that Grinch would take the Arizona State job. Why? His coaching stock depends on succeeding with Lincoln Riley. His chances of taking the ASU job would go up if he failed at USC this year, not if he succeeded … but the main point is that he’s not likely to take this job, period.

KALANI SITAKE

PROVO, UT – SEPTEMBER 18 : Herm Edwards head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils hugs Kalani Sitake head coach of the BYU Cougars during warmup before their game September 18, 2021 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Logan, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

BYU is a better job than Arizona State right now. No way Sitake leaves.

KENNY DILLINGHAM

Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham calls out to players during practice with the Ducks on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.

Much like Grinch, Dillingham needs to thrive at Oregon and then consider a head coaching job. He is highly unlikely to take the ASU job. He would also have a better shot at the job if he did poorly this year. Doing well would only make him want to stay at Oregon and build his credentials.

LUKE FICKELL

Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell looks on in the first half of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

If Fickell didn’t want the USC job last year, and if Notre Dame chose Marcus Freeman over him, he’s definitely not going to Arizona State.

CHRIS BALL

Arizona State University President Michael Crow speaks during a press conference regarding the Tohono O’odham Nation’s $2 million contribution to support COVID-19 research efforts at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University on Oct. 19, 2020, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

This is the one realistic candidate from the list mentioned above. Because of the NCAA’s impending punishment, a coach is likely to have to eat one year with a postseason ban, if not more. This means the next coach will need to be willing to go through a longer rebuild of the program. Ball is the only one who fits the description, since Northern Arizona is a small school reflective of a man who doesn’t have the same career ambitions as the other men mentioned on the list.

COACH OR COORDINATOR?

September 17, 2022; Tempe, Arizona; USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kejuan Markham (12) returns an interception against the Eastern Michigan Eagles during a game at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Breen-USA TODAY Sports

Because of the NCAA dimension to this situation, ASU is likely to take a young coordinator trying to build a reputation. Maybe this will be a young Group of Five head coach, but a young coordinator willing to live with a few years of mediocrity is the most likely choice. The Sun Devils need to grab a coach who wants to work in Tempe for the next seven or more years, as opposed to someone who wants to use the program as a quick stepping stone toward a bigger job.

HISTORY

TEMPE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 3: A general view before the start of Miami versus Ohio State Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on January 3, 2003 in Tempe, Arizona. Ohio State won the game 31-24 in double-overtime, winning the NCAA National Championship. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Arizona State hasn’t reached the Rose Bowl since the 1996 season. The Sun Devils haven’t made a New Year’s Six bowl since that season as well. Yet, when things work well at ASU, the Sun Devils can reach a high ceiling. They finished the 1975 season as the No. 2 team in the country. They were fourth in 1986. They would have won the 1996 national championship if they had finished off Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. It’s a job which can work, but the NCAA is a complicating factor. It’s not a quick fix, but if done right, this job can be a career-changer for a quality coach.

Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire