Arizona State not renewing Bobby Hurley’s contract after 11 up-and-down seasons
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bobby Hurley’s tenure as Arizona State’s coach is over after 11 up-and-down seasons.
Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini announced on Wednesday that Hurley’s contract will not be renewed, just hours after the Sun Devils’ blowout loss to No. 7 Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament.
Hurley will be placed on paid administrative leave through the remainder of his contract, which ends in June.
“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,” 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 led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament three times, including two straight in 2018-19, but needed to make another March Madness run if his contract was going to be extended.
Arizona State fell well short, finishing 12th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 at 7-11 and 17-16 overall following the 92-49 loss to Iowa State in Kansas City.
Hurley finished 185-167 in 11 seasons at Arizona State, leaving as the second-winningest coach in program history behind Ned Wulk.
“I don’t have any regrets,” Hurley said after the loss to Iowa State. “I laid it out on the line the best I could every night.”
Arizona State got Hurley’s 11th season off to a solid start, with a runner-up finish at the Maui Invitational and a close loss to No. 8 Gonzaga.
The rest of it was a struggle as the Sun Devils struggled with injuries and inconsistencies.
The Sun Devils picked up solid home wins against Kansas State and Cincinnati, but were blown out by No. 8 Houston, West Virginia and rival Arizona in a January stretch that left Hurley dejected.
“We failed. I’m failing. I can’t get through to the team,’’ Hurley said after the 75-63 loss to West Virginia on Jan. 21. “I don’t know what else I can say.”
Arizona State pulled off an upset by beating No. 14 Kansas in Hurley’s final home game, but was trounced by Iowa State four days later. The Sun Devils beat Baylor in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament before being bounced by Iowa State with a lackluster performance.
Hurley arrived in the desert with great fanfare and hope of turning around a program that had been to the NCAA Tournament twice the previous 18 seasons.
A two-time national champion at Duke and still the NCAA’s all-time assists leader, Hurley was hired after leading Buffalo to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2015.
Hurley led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament in his third season and did it again in 2018-19. Arizona State appeared to be in good position to reach the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons since the 1960s the following year, but the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out March Madness.
The Sun Devils have struggled to regain their footing since then, reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2023, but finishing with a losing record the other four seasons. Fan interest also waned, to the point there seemed to be more Arizona fans at Desert Financial Arena than Arizona State fans in their Jan. 31 rivalry game.
“We have not played well here in years, like since before COVID,’’ Hurley said. “We had this place cooking before COVID. Now it’s a sterile environment. We don’t win here. We don’t give our fans any reason to show up with enthusiasm to think that we’re going to win a basketball game. We have been dreadful at home for years.”
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