It was in 2015 that Bobby Hurley took over as the head coach of Arizona State. And boy-oh-boy did he make a memorable entry. Hurley went on to win his very first conference game and even got himself ejected for arguing with officials against the rival Arizona Wildcats. Undoubtedly, the Sun Devil fandom loved every moment of it.
Hurley’s passion turned the ASU team into one that should not be messed with. It was under him that the Sun Devils went on to beat No. 1 Kansas in 2018. That year, ASU even made a run at the NCAA Tournament. However, in the last two seasons, it seems like the glory days have become a thing of the past.
Despite a 4-16 Conference Record, Bobby Hurley Retained
2024 saw the fall of the Sun Devils from grace. Arizona State went on to finish second-to-last in the Big 12 with a painful 4-16 conference record. So, what exactly went wrong this season? Well, quite a bit.
The Sun Devils finished with a 13-18 overall record, making it their second losing season under Hurley.
Since Hurley took over, he has managed to lead ASU to three NCAA Tournaments and has never advanced past the first round. In 2023, however, ASU managed to get through as an 11-seed, only to get bounced in the first round. And this season was just as bad.
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley will return next season, athletic director Graham Rossini tells @On3sports.
The Sun Devils are second to last place in the Big 12 with a 4-16 conference record. https://t.co/kjaRCBuksL pic.twitter.com/5oIulYbeQB
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 12, 2025
Yet, despite all the unfortunate losses, Arizona State is not giving up on their coach. The Sun Devils will have yet another season with Hurley as their head coach.
Athletic director Graham Rossini confirmed the decision, meaning Hurley will enter the final year of his contract with a lot to prove. And no doubt the fandom is not the happiest with the decision!
The timing to keep Hurley is also raising a lot of questions. And rightly so, considering the fact that it was only a few days ago that Arizona State let go of women’s basketball coach Natasha Adair. Her buyout was estimated at $1.5 million.
So, could it have been the financial aspect that forced ASU to stick with Hurley for another season?
While the decision might not be the absolute best, there are other reasons for the Big 12 loss. For starters, Hurley’s star players Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon were riddled with injuries. In fact, ASU had over 50 missed games due to unforeseen injuries.
To add on, Bobby Hurley also decided to boot off the team’s lead scorer, BJ Freeman in February. Going forward, there is the possibility of ASU landing Koa Peat for the 2025 class. If Hurley manages to do the same, ASU’s trajectory might just change entirely.
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For now, though, Hurley is entering the final year of his contract, and no extension has been mentioned just yet.
Moving into the final year, one thing is certain, Hurley needs to bring in results, no matter what. No more near-misses. No more just making the tournament. It’s time to win when it matters.
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