Arizona State officially names Herm Edwards head coach
Arizona State officially named Herm Edwards its new head coach Sunday night.
Edwards is a former head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, and most recently worked as an analyst with ESPN. His lone sideline experience at the college level came as a defensive backs coach with San Jose State University from 1987-89.
Edwards' hiring at Arizona State comes amid a restructuring of the football department, which will now use an NFL-like "general manager structure" that involves sport and administrative divisions.
"Our goal for this football program is to reach unprecedented heights, and therefore we need to find a way to operate more innovatively and efficiently than we have in the past," vice president of university athletics Ray Anderson said. "In the spirit of innovation, our vision for this program is to have a head coach who serves as a CEO and is the central leader with a collaborative staff around him that will elevate the performance of players and coaches on the field, in the classroom, and in our community. Equally important, the head coach will be a dynamic and tireless recruiter."
Edwards released his own statement Sunday, expressing his excitement for the shared vision between himself and Arizona State's administration.
"Passion for my faith, my family and my occupation as a football coach are the things that have driven me back to the grass," Edwards said. "My personal commitment to build young men to be whole people through the game of football is completely in alignment with the vision President Michael Crow and Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson have for this program. I stand ready for the challenge of working with them to elevate Sun Devil Football. I am very excited and humbled to be the Arizona State head football coach."
Arizona State says their recruiting system will be upgraded with additional staff support and evaluation resources.
Edwards will be in charge of developing coordinators and assistant coaches.