A well-known college football head coach has been fired. On Sunday, the Arizona State Sun Devils announced that they have parted ways with Herm Edwards three games into his fifth season. The move comes after the Sun Devils lost to Eastern Michigan 31-20 to start the season 1-2. This also comes as the school is under investigation by the NCAA.
“We have made the decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program effective immediately. By mutual agreement, Coach Edwards and I have determined that he will relinquish duties as our head coach,” Arizona State vice president of athletics Ray Anderson said in a statement. “At the core of this is doing what is best for our current team, staff and university. I understand the frustrations out there. We must do better and that starts with our decision today.”
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Running backs coach Shaun Aguano has been named interim head coach until the team finds a new head coach. Edwards finished his career at Arizona State with a 26-20 record and never had a losing season. He also caused some controversy when he was accused of hosting prospects during the extended recruiting dead period, which was started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the investigation began, multiple coaches exited the program, and Arizona State president Michael Crow expressed frustration with how long the investigation was moving.
“I know that we haven’t, out of my office, been very vocal about anything because we’re asked not to say anything by the NCAA,” Crow told The Athletic about the investigation that began in June 2021. “And the NCAA is moving in deliberate fashion. I don’t believe they’ve even interviewed our remaining coaches yet.”
Before joining Arizona State in 2018, Edwards was an NFL head coach from 2001 to 2008. The New York Jets hired Edwards in 2001 after he spent five seasons as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his five seasons with the Jets, Edwards registered a 39-41 record and led the team to the playoffs three times. In 2006, Edwards joined the Kansas City Chiefs and was there for three seasons. The Chiefs made the playoffs in 2006 but only won a total of six games in 2007 and 2008.
