TEMPE – Arizona State men’s basketball is preparing for its first-round matchup in the Big 12 tournament against Kansas State, and expectations were head coach Bobby Hurley coaching for his job on Tuesday. However, Arizona Sports John Gambadoro reported that ASU is expected to retain the 10-year Sun Devil head coach for the 2025-2026 season, meaning his job is safe for the moment.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Hurley is also looking for an extension this offseason, but the likelihood of that coming to fruition is slim.
Arizona State University head basketball coach Bobby Hurley is interviewed on TNT’s pregame broadcast Men’s before the NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium. Syndication: Arizona Republic
In March 2023, Hurley agreed to a two-year contract extension. The Sun Devils were coming off a 23-13 season and an NCAA tournament bid. However, the program has fallen greatly since then, with back-to-back losing seasons.
After starting the season 10-3, ASU went on a 3-15 stretch, losing nine straight home games. The nightmare stretch put a lot of fingers pointed at Hurley as the sole reason for the Sun Devils’ fall from grace. Despite the team’s shortcomings, the 53-year-old head coach will still return in the final year of his contract.
Arizona State University basketball coach Bobby Hurley congratulates his players after defeating Saint Mary’s College in the championship game of the 2024 Acrisure Men’s Classic in Palm Desert, Calif., Nov. 29, 2024. Syndication: Desert Sun
Why is ASU not firing Hurley?
The decision not to let Hurley go is most likely money. The Sun Devil coach is making millions, and firing him would put the program in a financial struggle, as it would need to look for a new viable head coach. Letting his contract expire helps ASU prepare for a full-fledged head coach job search and doesn’t face any financial backlash.
Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini talked to the media at the beginning of February and said Hurley was the right person to lead the program. Despite that proclamation, people believed the team’s play in the final month of the season was enough to let go of the long-tenured ASU coach.
Hurley is the second-most winningest coach in program history and has raised it to heights not seen in this Millennium. However, losing seasons in four of the last five years have Sun Devil fans irritated. Regardless, Hurley is a more than capable coach and recruiter for ASU and will have one more year, at the minimum, to fix this year’s mistakes.
Can ASU beat Kansas State in Big 12 Tournament without star freshman?
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
