Jordan Hamm
Ray Anderson addressed the media on Sunday after the university fired head football coach Todd Graham. He covered plenty of topics including what went wrong, what will the next head coach look like, and the future of the Sun Devils.
Why they moved on from Todd Graham
The Sun Devils have had an 18-19 record in the last three seasons. In 2017, they exceeded expectations with a 7-5 record and placed second in the Pac-12 South, a “riddled” division according to Anderson.
How Ray Anderson Assessed the Situation
Anderson went into detail in his process to evaluate Graham over the years.
The Search Process
With the offseason kicking into gear, and an even shorter recruiting timeline than usual, all teams with coaching vacancies will need to make moves fast, and Anderson explained what that process will look like.
The Rest of the Staff
One of the more interesting things Anderson said on Sunday was he hoped the new head coach would strongly consider and “keep and open mind” to keep offensive coordinator Billy Napier and defensive coordinator Phil Bennett in place moving forward to help with continuity issues. Anderson said himself it was an out-of-the-box idea, but that both coaches helped make progress on their respective sides of the football this year.
What This Next Coach Looks Like
Todd Graham is owed $12 million in his buy-out, but Ray Anderson does not feel that will handcuff or impact the university’s decision on a head coach, calling it simply “a challenge.” He explains what he wants to see in the next ASU head coach and if having head coaching experience is a necessity.
Todd Graham coached the Sun Devils for six years and was 46-31 with Arizona State.
