ASU leadership reportedly 'expressed confidence' in Herm Edwards during team meeting
Herm Edwards reportedly got a vote of confidence Thursday from Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson and deputy AD Jean Boyd.
According to Sun Devil Source’s Chris Karpman, two of the athletic department’s top voices had a team meeting Thursday morning during which they “affirmed” support for Edwards and conveyed they still have confidence in his ability to lead the Sun Devils into the 2022 football season.
This is accurate. I posted in Sanctuary about it yesterday. Ray Anderson and Jean Boyd affirmed their continuing support for Herm Edwards and expressed confidence in his leadership of the program and capability of their 2022 team in a team meeting Thursday morning. https://t.co/JZZdj3GRwZ
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) February 4, 2022
The report comes amid speculation that Edwards could lose his job as a result of an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations, allegations that have already led to departures from five of Edwards’ 10 full-time assistant coaches.
In the last two weeks, Arizona State has seen both its offensive and defensive coordinators resign. Additionally, the three assistant coaches who were placed on paid administrative leave last summer were reportedly given the option to resign or be fired with cause. Wideout coach Prentice Gill and secondary coach Chris Hawkins were both fired for cause on Jan. 21 while tight ends coach Adam Breneman chose to resign from his position.
The allegations currently facing the Arizona State football team include claims that coaches paid for the travel of recruits to Arizona State’s campus and for their lodging while in town, met with them in-person both on and off-campus during the extended recruiting dead period brought on by COVID-19 from March 2020 through May 2021, and left the state of Arizona during the dead period for recruiting purposes.
Since opening an investigation into the alleged violations, the NCAA has reportedly interviewed high school prospects who allegedly visited campus during the 15-month dead period as well as program staffers, and been told that both Edwards and former defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce took part in impermissible meetings with recruits, according to The Athletic. ASU could face Level I violations if the NCAA finds sufficient evidence.
The 2022 season will mark Edwards’ fifth year in charge of the ASU program. To this point, he has a 25-18 record as the head coach but only one bowl victory. On Wednesday, ASU signed a 2022 recruiting class that ranked dead last in the conference in high school-only recruiting and 10th overall (transfers included).