Head Coach Candidates?

[82CardsGrad]

It's done. The ASU admin just gave their fans the finger in public. It's disgusting.

Even if they thought he was the right guy last week, they should realize that he's going to get zero margin of error from the fans. There's not going to be a honeymoon period. So, even if he had the potential to do well here before (something I doubt), they just set him up to fail

And the final WTF thing, he's one of the most expensive options. We could possibly be giving him $2.5 mil, his buyout is $2 mil and you paid $750,000 to buyout Erickson. That's $5.25 mil for the first year of Jones, aka Erickson 2.0.

Wow.... just, Effin WOW!!!!!!

 

[azsportsfan01]

If true my donations to the Sun Devil Club stop immediately. Only way to vote against is with the wallet.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Sounds like the plan is to keep SDS empty so it is easier to refurbish.

 

[Covert Rain]

Wow. Way to screw the pooch ASU. Terrible hire IMO. This has to be because Plan A, B, C, D all fell through.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It seems impossible that this could have been handled any more poorly:

1. Put all your eggs in one basket with Sumlin, with no guarantee that he'll accept.

2. When Sumlin gives you the heisman, panic because you have no plan B, and fall back to an influential booster and advising firm, both with strong relationships with SMU.

3. Float the name of Jones, which is the one thing that has ever gotten lazy ASU fans to react to anything. This is met with such universal condemnation that the university president is forced to write a letter to stop the barbarians at the gate.

4. After seeing the reaction to Jones, send our #1 closer, Lisa Love to NY to try and salvage Fedora/Briles/Sumlin trio. Get punked by all 3, for such football powerhouses as UNC. UNC. A school where nobody gives a crap about football.

5. Despite the fact that there are younger/cheaper options out there with upside, go back to the June Jones well, which has no future, upside and a gigantic price tag.

How is it possible that this could get any worse?

Makes Crow's letter even more hilarious...choice nuggets:

"We want consistency, not a team that is up one year and down the next, not a program that has one mostly good decade followed by a mostly mediocre one."

"We intend to be in the hunt for the conference championship every year, winning our division and playing for the Rose Bowl.

"Our objectives are long range, not short term. And we don't want or need a quick or temporary fix."

Can somebody please enlighten me as to how Jones would fit any of those qualifications?

 

[Dback Jon]

I don't think Jones is as bad as some of you are making him out to be.

But the way ASU went about this was totally unprofessional.

 

[azsportsfan01]

PaulCalvisi Paul Calvisi
ASU Update: Multiple sources tell me "it's definitely going to be June Jones." I'm told decision reached late last night.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Kudos to Lisa Love and the ASU athletic department! Not only did you get owned on the coaching search by U of A and Washington State, but you fired Dennis Erickson for June Jones, who is essentially Erickson without the rings. Oh, and he's old, has no upside and is expensive. ASU athletics, nothing if not disappointing.

 

[Mathew81]

I don't think Jones is as bad as some of you are making him out to be.

But the way ASU went about this was totally unprofessional.

I don't think he's a bad coach. But he's a TERRIBLE fit here. We just fired a coach for tanking at the end of the year and having extremely undisciplined players. So we go out and hire a guy who's team just tanked at the end of they year and is known for having dirty/undisciplined players. It makes ZERO sense. How is he going to fix the problems the team currently has?

 

[wilycoyote24]

Why not wait until it is official to jump off a bridge?

I do agree, I can't think of a realistically worse option out there. I guess, with this decision, what would be realistic for this team changes, opening up the option that they REALLY panic and rehire DE. I honestly think it would have been better just to retain him, if this is the alternative.

 

[AsUdUdE]

I never thought I'd say this... but I wish Erickson would have stayed one more year...

I also never thought I would be more bummed about a hiring over DE from Idaho at the time, again I was wrong...

I think it speaks to everything ASU is about to have the entire fan base in uproar over this hiring, and it seems the ASU hierachy doesn't care at all...

I swear there will not be another dime going to the sports program as long as this is the case...

There needs to be a rally among ALL ASU BOOSTERS.. ALL OF THEM... No more more to Lisa Love, no more money to Crow.. If they are ok with being at the bottom of the PAC-12, they sure as hell shouldn't be rewarded with donations...

I am soo furious, worst hiring maybe of all time for ASU.. The only silver lining is hopefully when he falls flat on his face for 2 straight years he and Love will be outsted in 2014 and ASU can finally turn the corner...

We will have to wait for 3 years, but its the only light ASU boosters and fans have at the moment

 

[Renz]

"Our objectives are long range, not short term. And we don't want or need a quick or temporary fix."

This is the strangest part, if it is Jones who is hired. At his age, and with his health issues, you figure Jones might coach another 5-6 years, tops, and then the program starts all over again.

 

[Dback Jon]

So what HC would have made the upset ASU alums happy? (Given who is NOW available?)

 

[Lefty]

This is the strangest part, if it is Jones who is hired. At his age, and with his health issues, you figure Jones might coach another 5-6 years, tops, and then the program starts all over again.

That's what does not make sense. Jones will have success next year like Erickson did his first year but in the long term, makes no sense. I can see Jones being an AD after he finishes coaching. ASU could of gotten a better coach but you will have to wait. I am just glad the UofA got Rodriguez

 

[ASUCHRIS]

So what HC would have made the upset ASU alums happy? (Given who is NOW available?)

I think a young up and coming coordinator (who is a strong recruiter) that could grow with the program, and not cost a ton in terms of buyout/contract would make a ton more sense than an expensive retread with no upside.

 

[Dback Jon]

I think a young up and coming coordinator (who is a strong recruiter) that could grow with the program, and not cost a ton in terms of buyout/contract would make a ton more sense than an expensive retread with no upside.

How would you have reacted to say, Robin Pflugrad?

 

[Mathew81]

So what HC would have made the upset ASU alums happy? (Given who is NOW available?)

Most fans were excited about Sumlin and Fedora. A lot wanted Calhoun from Air Force, Briles from Baylor, Ron English, Chryst (OC at Wisconsin). Most would have been OK with Wilcox (DC at Tennessee). There were a lot of other names. However, the only name that people got upset about was Jones. I've never seen the fan base in agreement as much as they are right now. It's not just Jones either, it's the way the entire thing was handled. They didn't get their first choice (Sumlin) so they raced to hire Jones when they didn't have to. It's not like any other school was looking to hire him. They could have interviewed more candidates but they didn't. Sure after the outrage over the weekend they sent Love to do a few interviews. But it's likely that was just a show to appease the fans. Crow, Patterson and Love all were going to meet Sumlin and all went to meet Jones. But then they send Love (who's isn't exactly in charge) to interview Fedora, Briles and Sumlin in New York by herself? Something smells rotten.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

How would you have reacted to say, Robin Pflugrad?

Positively, for all the reasons explained above.

 

[Dback Jon]

Positively, for all the reasons explained above.

Agreed - I think he would have been an outstanding choice - Pac10 and ASU ties, recruiting, proving to be a good HC already

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Agreed - I think he would have been an outstanding choice - Pac10 and ASU ties, recruiting, proving to be a good HC already

Not prohibitively expensive, has upside...

 

[chickenhead]

Seriously, no offense to Jones, but almost swear that Robert Sarver is the AD... Foregoing building for an expensive veteran.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

ASU just guaranteed themselves half empty stadiums, hardly any season ticket renewals, and tons of boosters jumping off ship. Every booster I know is livid and does not support Jones to any degree. The entire ASU Athletic Department needs an overhaul, they have absolutely no idea what they're doing, and they are going directly against the fans/alumni/boosters recommendations. This is going to hurt ASU more than they realize, and no one will be there to help them out of the ditch. Dumbfounding...

 

[Mulli]

This alum won't be giving ASU any money any time soon.

 

[wilycoyote24]

At least everyone can be happy that this will lead to a few firings. Ultimately this could be a good thing in that things needed to get worse before they could get better.

 

[FArting]

So what HC would have made the upset ASU alums happy? (Given who is NOW available?)

Jim Mora Jr.