We know how fluid the news is during a coaching search, and I was prepared to go in a certain direction with my list of candidates, etc. But with some information that I have been getting in the last few hours it’s prudent that I just go in a different direction as far as the reporting.
Earlier today I felt pretty comfortable that former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin and Michigan’s assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Alfonza "Pep" Hamilton were the two prime candidates that Ray Anderson was likely to choose from.
In the last few hours, albeit with no one name emerging as a leader, I get the sense that this could be a left-field hire by Anderson, likely from the NFL ranks. We all knew that this was a possibility, although the timing of the announcement of such a coach would be challenging since that candidate may have to work until the end of the regular season which is December 31st. So, ASU’s next head coach would have to resign before the NFL season ends to get as much time possible recruiting.
The NFL guys that could be in the mix here are:
Greg Roman - Baltimore Raven’s tight ends coach. Coached with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, and much like Pep Hamilton, that registers high on Anderson’s scale, who much like ASU President Dr. Michael Crow wants to emulate the Cardinal.
Teryl Austin – the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, who spent a few years with the Arizona Cardinals when they went to the Super Bowl, so he’s familiar with the area. It’s a name that even the Detroit media is mentioning.
Hue Jackson - the current Cleveland Browns head coach, who is still seeking his first win this season which may mean that he could be available before the end of the season. Was USC’s offensive coordinator from 1997-2000 and has been in the NFL for the last 17 years.
Harold Goodwin – the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator. Has been in the NFL since 2004, and was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan prior to that. Anderson has a good relationship with Cards’ general manager Steve Keim and have talked previously to him about coaching candidates for the Sun Devils. So, it would make sense that a member of their staff would be considered by ASU.
So, there you have it. I hope to solidify the information more in the next 24-48 hours, and perhaps provide more details on candidates, etc. I just wanted to be careful right now and not just throw some names and information out there to see what sticks.
Earlier today I felt pretty comfortable that former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin and Michigan’s assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Alfonza "Pep" Hamilton were the two prime candidates that Ray Anderson was likely to choose from.
In the last few hours, albeit with no one name emerging as a leader, I get the sense that this could be a left-field hire by Anderson, likely from the NFL ranks. We all knew that this was a possibility, although the timing of the announcement of such a coach would be challenging since that candidate may have to work until the end of the regular season which is December 31st. So, ASU’s next head coach would have to resign before the NFL season ends to get as much time possible recruiting.
The NFL guys that could be in the mix here are:
Greg Roman - Baltimore Raven’s tight ends coach. Coached with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, and much like Pep Hamilton, that registers high on Anderson’s scale, who much like ASU President Dr. Michael Crow wants to emulate the Cardinal.
Teryl Austin – the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, who spent a few years with the Arizona Cardinals when they went to the Super Bowl, so he’s familiar with the area. It’s a name that even the Detroit media is mentioning.
Hue Jackson - the current Cleveland Browns head coach, who is still seeking his first win this season which may mean that he could be available before the end of the season. Was USC’s offensive coordinator from 1997-2000 and has been in the NFL for the last 17 years.
Harold Goodwin – the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator. Has been in the NFL since 2004, and was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan prior to that. Anderson has a good relationship with Cards’ general manager Steve Keim and have talked previously to him about coaching candidates for the Sun Devils. So, it would make sense that a member of their staff would be considered by ASU.
So, there you have it. I hope to solidify the information more in the next 24-48 hours, and perhaps provide more details on candidates, etc. I just wanted to be careful right now and not just throw some names and information out there to see what sticks.
