What It Takes for Bobby Hurley to Keep His Job

The Sun Devils are still making an NCAA tournament push - is that enough for Hurley to receive an extension?

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The 9-3 start to the 2025-26 Arizona State season has been a more fruitful one than many anticipated heading into Bobby Hurley's 11th season in the role - and they are set to head into the final game of non-conference play on Sunday against Oregon State.

Arizona State comes in at number 61 in the NCAA NET rankings heading into Friday under Hurley's leadership, but more work must be done from the team in the months to come in an effort to land the longtime standout head coach more time in the desert.

Hurley entered the season without a contract extension after going just 13-20 in 2024-25 - this lack of action from AD Graham Rossini seemingly put pressure on the 54-year-old to win - and to win now.

The Sun Devils have kicked off the campaign with a trio of quality wins, as they took down Texas, Oklahoma, and Santa Clara over the last month, while the three losses that they suffered all came in competitive outputs.

What must be done to secure a new contract for Hurley come springtime? ASU on SI explores the path to this coming to fruition below.

What Must ASU Do For Hurley to Stick Around?

There seems to be two parts to this equation with Hurley's contract set to expire after the season - an immediate tournament appearance one, and a player development one.

It appears that another appearance in the "First Four" is what's expected at the very least after two consecutive losing seasons that followed a tournament appearance in the 2022-23 season. Hurley should feel secure beyond a shadow of a doubt if they are able to both make the tournament and rattle off one or more wins come the tournament.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

For those wondering, it seems as if the Sun Devils must win at least 18 games to reach the tournament - a win over Oregon State on Sunday would take them past the halfway point of this goal.

From a player development perspective, players such as Noah Meeusen, Massamba Diop, and the redshirting Dame Salane will be watched closely to see how they continue to grow over the course of this season.

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts during action against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Nov. 14, 2025, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Euro-based players have shown measured growth over the first month-plus of the season in terms of both adjusting to the college game and improving. The administration has to feel confident in the growth of the program as well as the tangible success.

The moral of the story? Don't doubt Bobby Hurley.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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