WORLD BADEST NEWS: The manager of the ASU Sun Devils shed tears as four of his best players made a final decision to terminate their huge contract.
The manager of the ASU Sun Devils shed tears as four of his top players made the final decision to terminate their lucrative contracts.
Name, image, and likeness fees characterize a new era of collegiate sports, and ASU is looking for an athletic director to help them get up to speed. Former ASU athletic director Ray Anderson did not see change coming.
On Monday, the University of Arizona fired athletic director Dave Heeke, complicating the situation. Down South, he oversaw UA athletics for over seven years until being ousted for financial and operational incompetence, the loss of significant benefactors, and the mishandling of former football head coach Jedd Fisch’s contract, according to Brett McMurphy. Heeke’s firing means that two powerhouse institutions must find new athletic directors before joining the Big 12 later this year.
Anderson resigned before Heeke was fired in Tucson, effective immediately on November 13, 2023. Jim Rund, ASU’s senior vice president for educational outreach and student services, was named temporary athletic director. Anderson stated that it was time to move on from his position and concentrate on his job as a professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham and baseball coach Willie Bloomquist were the first to react to Anderson’s departure. Dillingham was not notified of the decision until the morning, only hours before a scheduled press conference, but he opted to praise Anderson.
“I’m thankful for him giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of my alma mater; it’s my dream job,” he said. “He’s been supportive of me since I arrived here. So good luck to him and his future.”
Bloomquist was questioned about the move a few minutes later. Despite the fact that ASU fans were cheering Anderson’s leave, he, like Dillingham, used the occasion to compliment him.
“I see a side of Ray that you don’t get to see every day,” Bloomquist explained. “Ray is a good man—a very decent man. He has treated me quite well since I’ve been here.”
Bobby Hurley, the head coach of ASU’s men’s basketball program, also praised Anderson for giving him the reins. Hurley stated that coming to ASU has been a watershed event in his life and an opportunity he values.
Some of his most prominent coaching decisions have been successful. Greg Powers, hockey’s head coach, has transformed a nascent program into a rated squad. Cliff English, triathlon’s head coach, has led his team to seven national championships. Most recently, swim and dive head coach Bob Bowman led the men’s team to its first-ever No. 1 ranking.
Nonetheless, each of Anderson’s accomplishments appears to have been followed by a setback. He notoriously signed his former client Herm Edwards as football coach and failed to keep softball coach Trisha Ford after six consecutive winning seasons. Most crucially, his term was marred by controversy over alleged sexual assault and harassment charges against a booster.
Despite Anderson’s shaky reputation, ASU coaches are now focused on the future rather than speculating on what may have been. The university’s admission to the Big 12 is the most significant development in athletics, aside from ASU hosting the Men’s Basketball Final Four later this spring. Anderson’s replacement will be responsible for leading ASU into an expanded Big 12 while sponsoring 26 sports, the most of any member school.
More than anything, the three coaches think that NIL should be the Sun Devil Athletics’ top focus. Dillingham previously stated that ASU is behind the curve on NIL and that the university’s delayed efforts have hampered his ability to recruit. The tendency of athletes to select other institutions due to the NIL has also hampered Bloomquist and Hurley’s ability to attract and retain top players.
Fortunately, the university appears to be moving in the right direction with the Sun Angel Collective. The collective developed a “Million Dollar Match” last month, which will match all donations up to $1 million until the spring football game, owing to booster promises. Bloomquist believes the collective is what his team needs to survive in the new era of college sports.
“I’m just telling you the truth: that we’re going to need some help,” Bloomquist went on to say. “Kenny’s efforts to engage the Valley, I believe, have been brilliant. Now, if we can really put rubber on the pavement and get the ball moving, I believe it will be quite beneficial because we will need it in the future.”
The growing relevance of the NIL will have an impact on the direction ASU takes with its incoming athletic director. The university will need to hire someone who focuses on NIL. The coaches believe that whoever leads Sun Angel Collective should broaden its efforts to obtain more profitable business.
Read more: Kenny Dillingham believes ASU is ‘turning a corner’ with NIL. Here is why.
Following Heeke’s resignation, both ASU and UA will look for a NIL-focused athletic director. UA may be an appealing job because of the Wildcats’ success in a variety of areas, but Fisch’s departure to Washington, along with the school’s $240 million budget imbalance, puts Heeke’s successor in a difficult position. Meanwhile, ASU may be a better fit because of the university’s steady finances and football’s future with Dillingham.
Dillingham is a strong supporter of ASU’s NIL and hopes to have a role in selecting a new athletic director. His very brief tenure as head coach has been focused on pulling ASU football back from the edge, and he wants the university to appoint someone who is as passionate about athletics as he is.
Meanwhile, Hurley believes the university should appoint someone with a background in college sports and the ability to walk into the office with a vision on the first day. He hopes the new athletic director will get people excited about ASU basketball and other sports. Hurley also believes that if ASU can overcome its sluggish deployment of NIL, it has the potential to be a top collegiate sports program.
“There’s a reason that all across the country, people think that we’re a sleeping giant,” Hurley said in a statement. “It’s the magnitude of our base and the depth of our base of alums and fans all across the country that we could be an unstoppable force.”
