Naming Candidates to Watch for Arizona State Basketball Coaching Vacancy
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TEMPE -- The expected has now become official for the Arizona State men's basketball program.
Bobby Hurley is officially out as head coach of the program after 11 seasons at the helm, with SunDevilSource reporting that the 54 year old will be placed on administrative leave until his contract officially expires on June 30.
This now opens the door for AD Graham Rossini to make his second major hire in as many years after selecting Molly Miller to be the head of the women's basketball program last March.
Arizona State on SI selects a wide range of names to watch during the process - with tiers to add emphasis on which should be of paramount importance in the search. It also must be noted that Arizona State will be competing with several other high-profile openings, including Big 12 rival Kansas State, Syracuse, Providence, and potentially several others.
Tier One: Home Run Hires - Can They be Secured?
- Josh Schertz, head coach, Saint Louis
Schertz has been eyed as one of the premier candidates this cycle for some time. The 50 year old has done nothing but win/rebuild mid-major programs that were once proud in Indiana State and Saint Louis since making the jump to division one in 2021 - becoming one of the quentessential program-building figures in the sport.
The major questions here go several layers deep. Would Arizona State appeal to Schertz enough to leave a spot that is flush with resources and has a clear path to the NCAA tournament on a yearly basis? Will he wait until other potential jobs open up down the line? Would Arizona State appeal to the New York native more than an opening such as Syracuse? When will Saint Louis' season end? There are many variables in the mix, but Schertz would absolutely be a home-run hire.
- Jerrod Calhoun, head coach, Utah State
Utah State has become a conduit for coaches making the leap to the power five level in recent seasons, as former coach Ryan Odom is now at Virginia, while Danny Sprinkle is at Washington.
Calhoun appears to be the next that is poised to make the move, as the 44-year old injected life into a Youngstown State program that had been dormant before he joined, while he has posted an exceptional 51-14 mark with the Aggies over the last two seasons.
Many of the questions that are carried around with Schertz also apply to Calhoun, although his energy, aggressive mentality as a tactician, and being part of the Bob Huggins coaching tree are all attractive resume points.
- Travis Steele, head coach, Miami (OH)
Steele is set to be a coveted name as well, as the former Xavier coach has rebranded himself as a phenomenal program builder at Miami - leading the Warhawks to a 31-0 regular season with a reported $500,000 roster this season.
The 44-year old may not make as much sense for the Sun Devils as the two names listed above, but it would be a curious choice to not explore the possibility of a union.
Tier Two: Great Hires, With Caveats
- Randy Bennett, head coach, Saint Mary's
Bennett would be another exemplary hire - we have been a fan for some time. The stars seem to align here for the most part - including Bennett being an Arizona native, Gonzaga's departure from the WCC severely weakening Saint Mary's standing moving forward, and more.
The major caveat is Bennett's potential refusal to depart, as well as his age (63) - while this isn't something that will impact his coaching ability, would it be worth to invest in a coach that isn't committed to leading the program for 5+ years? It's worth at least inquiring into potential interest.
- Greg McDermott, head coach, Creighton
The same reigns true for McDermott, who appears more inclined to retire compared to anything else.
Still, the longtime Creighton head coach has to be mentioned here, as there have been multiple links between the two sides over the last year - this would be a fascinating pairing if there is potential for it to actually happen.
Tier Three: Wild Cards
- Eric Olen, head coach, New Mexico
Olen has been floated around as a fan-favorite option in recent weeks.
The 45-year old is in his first year at New Mexico after spending over a decade at UC San Diego - leading the Tritons to a 30-5 record and an NCAA tournament appearance last season. While New Mexico has tailed off a bit in the last month of the season, he would be a rock solid option.
- Jase Coburn, head coach, Portland State
Coburn, 42, is more of an outside-the-box option compared to others here, but it would be a fascinating experiment.
Coburn graduated from Arizona State in 2006 and has been the leader of the Portland State program over the last four seasons - taking the program from a mid-tier force in Big Sky into one of the more feared in the league.
Could Coburn be a repeat of what the Sun Devils found in head coach Kenny Dillingham? Don't rule it out, but there's likely to be a stronger push for candidates that are listed in the upper tiers.
Tier Four: Potential Fallback Options
- Derek Glasser, assistant coach, UCSB
Glasser, an Arizona State alumni and leading assist man in the history of the program, would be an intriguing fallback option in the event of top candidates not working out.
There are whispers that the former point guard - who was teammates with James Harden for two seasons - would receive a blessing from the 2018 NBA MVP, along with more financial backing. The ultimate thought is that it would be too risky to not hire someone that doesn't have head coaching experience, hence why Glasser is a bit lower.
- Bryce Drew, head coach, Grand Canyon
Drew has had marked success at three programs that hadn't seen much prior to him joining each as head coach. Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, and Grand Canyon all made it to the NCAA tournament under his leadership - with the short proximity between ASU/GCU making this a proposition that will be discussed, even if the footing of Drew's candidacy isn't there.
Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.