Bobby Hurley Out As Arizona State Men’s Basketball Coach: Six Candidates to Replace Him

After 11 seasons in the desert, Bobby Hurley’s tenure as Arizona State men’s basketball coach came to an end just hours after the Sun Devils’ 49-point loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday, the university announced.

“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,” Sun Devils athletic director Graham Rossini said in a statement. “While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney, Bobby Jr., and he spent with us at ASU. We wish Coach well moving forward and we are thankful for his leadership while at ASU.”

Hurley had expressed appreciation for his time at Arizona State during his postgame press conference following the Sun Devils' loss.

“It's been a long road. It's been a special time,” Hurley said. “Two of my kids graduated from ASU. I've had the opportunity to coach some fantastic young men. Had some terrific moments over the years and it's a great university. Great administration ... I don't have any regrets. I laid it out on the line to the best that I could every night.”

Hurley, the second-winningest coach in program history, led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament in three seasons but never advanced out of the first round. Two of those tourney appearances coincided with a three-year stretch in which Arizona State had a winning record. Things have gone south for Hurley in the three seasons since the last time the Sun Devils went dancing in 2023, as the program has limped to a 44-54 record and has gone 11-27 in conference play in its first two seasons in the Big 12.

The Sun Devils lagged behind their Big 12 counterparts—especially rival Arizona—in terms of wins, NIL resources and recruiting. That point was further driven home when the Sun Devils were ran off the court by the Cyclones, the worst loss in the history of the Big 12 tournament.

All told, Hurley went 185-166 in 11 seasons with the Sun Devils. Prior to his tenure in Tempe, Ariz., Hurley coached the Buffalo men's basketball team, whom he led to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in his last season at the helm in 2014-15. As a collegiate player, Hurley was a legendary guard who led the Duke Blue Devils to three Final Fours, two national championships and is still the NCAA's all-time leader in career assists. Hurley's father Bob enjoyed a 39-year career as head basketball coach at St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City, N.J., where he won 28 state championships. Hurley's brother Dan has won two national championships with the UConn Huskies.

What's next for Bobby Hurley after his departure at Arizona State?

Hurley expressed a desire to keep coaching to Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde in the event that his tenure with Arizona State was to come to an end.

“I love doing what I’m doing,” Hurley, 54, said. “I feel like I’m still in my prime right now. I don’t think I would take an assistant position at this time. I may look in media if there wasn’t something that made sense for me this year in this cycle, but I don’t want to waste time. I got like 10 years I think I could be doing this, and I don’t want to stop unless there isn’t something that makes sense for me.”

Six candidates to take over as men’s basketball coach at Arizona State

Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney has compiled a list of names the Sun Devils could target.

Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett

Bennett has coached the Gaels since 2001, has won nearly 600 career regular season games and has led the program to four straight NCAA tournaments, with a fifth appearance likely on the way in 2025-26. Bennett would not be an easy get for the Sun Devils—and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be leaving the Gaels at seasons’ end, but he should be one of the first names called.

New Mexico head coach Eric Olen

Olen jumped from the Big West to the Mountain West Conference, and could take another leap to the Big 12 with Arizona State. Olen is especially intriguing for the Sun Devils, given his quick work in turning around a UC San Diego program that had fallen on hard times.

Grand Canyon head coach Bryce Drew

Drew has enjoyed success at seemingly every stop in his coaching career. A three-time Coach of the Year in the Horizon League with Valparaiso from 2011-2016, Drew made the jump to the SEC with Vanderbilt, whom he led to the NCAA tournament in his first season at the helm, though things quickly went south. But he is once again a top coaching candidate for a power conference job after leading the Antelopes to the NCAA tournament in each of the last three seasons.

UC Santa Barbara assistant coach Derek Glasser

Glasser would be a sentimental hire for the Sun Devils, as he spent four years with the program as a player from 2006-10, during which he was teammates with James Harden. Glasser has been lauded for his scouting work, offensive game planning and impact on recruiting for the Gauchos. Glasser is generating buzz, but sources told Sports Illustrated that it’s currently believed to be unlikely that this materializes.

Portland State head coach Jase Coburn

After two losing seasons in his first two years at the helm with the Vikings, Coburn has led the program to three straight winning seasons and a 20-11 campaign in 2025-26 in which Portland State finished as the Big Sky regular season champion. Coburn is forging a reputation as a program builder, and he’s an alum of Arizona State, making him an attractive candidate.

Stephen F. Austin head coach Matt Braeuer

Braeuer served as an assistant coach for Texas Tech the last two seasons before earning his first head coaching gig with the Lumberjacks. He led the program to 28 wins, its most since 2019-20. And even though the Lumberjacks bowed out in the Southland tournament final on Wednesday, it’s likely that Braeuer is going to get some calls from interested athletic directors after the quick success he found with Stephen F. Austin.