Bobby Hurley’s long run as head coach at Arizona State is over.
The school announced that Hurley’s contract would not be renewed shortly after the Sun Devils were knocked out of the Big 12 tournament by Iowa State on Wednesday.
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said in a statement that Hurley had “made incredible contributions to the sport of basketball,” and that included his 11 years leading the Sun Devils.
“While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney, Bobby Jr., and he spent with us at ASU. We wish Coach well moving forward and we are thankful for his leadership while at ASU,” Rossini added.
Hurley led Arizona State to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his time there, including consecutive trips in 2018 and 2019. But his teams have struggled over the past three seasons, with the Sun Devils going a combined 44-54 in that span.
ASU had gone 19-39 against Big 12 opponents during that time as well.
Hurley did lead the Sun Devils to a 185-167 record overall in his 11 seasons and leaves the role as the second-winningest coach in ASU men’s basketball history behind just Ned Wulk, and his 406 wins accumulated from 1957 to 1982.
The now-former coach had been asked about his memories in Tempe during a press conference after their loss on Wednesday, before the official announcement.
“It’s been a long road. It’s been a special time,” Hurley said, according to the Arizona Republic. “Two of my kids graduated from ASU. I’ve had the opportunity to coach some fantastic young men, and have had some terrific moments over the years. It’s a great university, great administration, the president, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen because I don’t know. I haven’t spoken directly about my future next year to this point, but I don’t have any regrets. I laid it out on the line to the best that I could every night.”
The outlet reported that he went and met with his players at the team hotel when he learned the news that he would not be brought back.
“Throughout this journey, my family and I formed lasting friendships and created incredible memories,” Hurley later said in a post on X. “We experienced multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, remarkable wins at Desert Financial Arena, and the joy of watching our children become Sun Devil alumni.
“To all the players — thank you. It has been my greatest privilege to coach so many outstanding young men, and I will always treasure our time together.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
