After the buzzer sounded and Arizona’s State’s ninth loss in the past 10 games was secured, coach Bobby Hurley shook hands with Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, then walked off the floor.
Was it his final appearance in Tucson? Feels like it.
Despite pleadings from Arizona fans, who delight in Hurley’s despair and want his contract extended, this feels like the end for Hurley after 10 seasons in Tempe.
His frustration is apparent on a nightly basis, his roster is depleted beyond comprehension and his program is hurtling toward the worst season of his tenure (as measured by conference record).
Hurley’s job security is a frequent topic in Tempe, especially at this time of year. The Hotline defended him last spring, noting: “Coaching Arizona State basketball is, like teaching kindergarten, immensely more difficult than it looks.”
The Sun Devils have made just 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 1978, when the school joined the Pac-12. That’s one every 4.6 years, assuming they don’t muster a magic run through the Big 12 tournament next week.
Hurley’s appearance rate: one every 3.3 years.
He’s running ahead of the historical standard.
And he attained that success despite relatively poor campus support, based on NCAA financial reports obtained by the Hotline.
But back in March 2024, we also noted that, “Any argument for a coaching change must include the risk-reward calculation: What’s the likelihood of hiring someone who represents an indisputable upgrade?”
The Sun Devils are 4-15 in the Big 12. Only Colorado is worse.
To a certain extent, their demise has been beyond Hurley’s control. The season began well, with wins over New Mexico, Grand Canyon and Saint Mary’s. They were 9-2 and tracking for another NCAA Tournament appearance when conference play began.
The combination of Big 12 competition, inexplicably bad showings at home, a spate of injuries and one dismissal have decimated the roster.
The Sun Devils had just six scholarship players available for most of the game Tuesday night and were down to four in the final minutes because of fouls.
They repeatedly have played well into the second half — and they always play hard — before exhaustion sets in.
But there are other issues, starting with this: The vibe is bad. It’s the worst we have seen from Hurley’s program.
Between the mounting losses and the technical fouls and the dismissal of BJ Freeman and Hurley’s refusal to shake Lloyd’s hand a month ago and his frequent frustration-laced remarks, the program looks like it has lost its way.
It looks like Hurley has no answers.
It looks like a change is needed.
Another matter: the broader trajectory of the program in a rugged conference and changing landscape.
On-court success and the accompanying trappings (ticket sales, fundraising, community engagement) are exponentially more important as college basketball enters the revenue-sharing era.
Like its Big 12 peers, Arizona State is expected to add $20 million to the annual budget if, as expected, the House v. NCAA lawsuit settlement is approved next month. (The named plaintiff, Grant House, is a former ASU swimmer.)
That line-item expense ramps up the pressure to win for football and men’s basketball, which serve as the revenue drivers for the entire department.
A single losing season carries greater implications than it used to.
Also, athletic director Graham Rossini has stated publicly that ASU will renovate Desert Financial Arena, which was built in 1974 and hasn’t been touched since. (It’s so old, there are no elevators.)
We suspect the project will happen regardless — the university doesn’t have a choice — but it’s reasonable to wonder if the Sun Devils might want a fresh face and new energy for the facility’s next chapter.
The financial piece must be considered, as well. Hurley has one year remaining on a deal that pays approximately $3 million annually. But ASU is paying off former athletic director Ray Anderson, and Rossini inherited the preposterous, multi-million-dollar settlement terms from the Herm Edwards divorce.
It’s worth noting that Rossini attended the game Tuesday night, a rarity for ASU athletic directors. Our hunch is that he was impressed with the effort, disappointed with the outcome and left the arena pondering a difficult, complicated decision.
Running ahead of the historical standard only works for so long.
Increasingly, it’s hard to envision Hurley returning for Year 11.
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