Why is Ray Anderson still employed? That is definitely a topic that has been on ASU fans' minds ever since the NCAA investigation began, and that question persisted following Herm Edwards and the school parting ways last year.
I stated previously that Anderson did have connections in the NCAA, and those are the same connections that gave him the information in the early stages of the investigation that led to three assistant coaches being dismissed just days into 2021's Fall Camp and a fourth one (Zak Hill) leaving ASU a couple of months after the 2021 season ended. Those connections also instructed Anderson to take proactive measures, namely limiting the days where coaches were on the road recruiting, having Edwards and Antonio Pierce literally become mute on social media when it came to recruiting topics, as well as restricting the two to on-campus recruiting activities. Normally, Athletic Directors don't get information from the NCAA while the investigation is still ongoing, which is why you usually don't see coaches lose their job until an investigation is concluded.
I also said that I believe that Michael Crow would dismiss Anderson once this investigation is concluded and the Notice of Allegations is presented.
What I didn't realize is how much those two elements are tied together and do explain why Anderson is still at ASU and why he's not expected to leave until the investigation has concluded.
The bottom line here is that once the NCAA investigation started and Crow knew about Anderson's connections with the NCAA, he basically told him that he needed him to stay on and navigate this investigation until its conclusion. If Anderson had left, he would not have received the heads up, for lack of a better term, that several assistant coaches had incriminating evidence against them and that ASU, in order to soften the eventual blow of the sanctions, needed to dismiss them in short order. And the other steps, such as limiting social media posts, and disallowing off-campus activities, are steps that ASU probably would not have taken if Anderson was not working for ASU.
I'm told that Anderson didn't have an issue resigning his post after the investigation started (and yes, he would probably not leave without a buyout), although it's unlikely he would do so while Edwards was still employed.
But the bottom line here is that it's not as if Crow thinks that Anderson does not bear any responsibility for the NCAA investigation, which is taking place due to allegations that occurred under the watch of a head coach, whom Anderson was pushing HARD to be hired.
Crow knows that he has to play the long game here and have Anderson yield whatever influence he still has with the NCAA to mitigate the severity of the sanctions that are going to come down, and once those sanctions are a done deal (and if they are reasonable from ASU's perspective I do not see them appealing them), then Anderson and ASU are expected to part ways. I don't know if that parting of ways will include a full/limited/no buyout.
I'm not saying ASU fans should agree with this logic and course of action by Crow but wanted to still provide context to the current situation, the timeline involved, and what we can probably expect once the Notice of Allegations is served.
I stated previously that Anderson did have connections in the NCAA, and those are the same connections that gave him the information in the early stages of the investigation that led to three assistant coaches being dismissed just days into 2021's Fall Camp and a fourth one (Zak Hill) leaving ASU a couple of months after the 2021 season ended. Those connections also instructed Anderson to take proactive measures, namely limiting the days where coaches were on the road recruiting, having Edwards and Antonio Pierce literally become mute on social media when it came to recruiting topics, as well as restricting the two to on-campus recruiting activities. Normally, Athletic Directors don't get information from the NCAA while the investigation is still ongoing, which is why you usually don't see coaches lose their job until an investigation is concluded.
I also said that I believe that Michael Crow would dismiss Anderson once this investigation is concluded and the Notice of Allegations is presented.
What I didn't realize is how much those two elements are tied together and do explain why Anderson is still at ASU and why he's not expected to leave until the investigation has concluded.
The bottom line here is that once the NCAA investigation started and Crow knew about Anderson's connections with the NCAA, he basically told him that he needed him to stay on and navigate this investigation until its conclusion. If Anderson had left, he would not have received the heads up, for lack of a better term, that several assistant coaches had incriminating evidence against them and that ASU, in order to soften the eventual blow of the sanctions, needed to dismiss them in short order. And the other steps, such as limiting social media posts, and disallowing off-campus activities, are steps that ASU probably would not have taken if Anderson was not working for ASU.
I'm told that Anderson didn't have an issue resigning his post after the investigation started (and yes, he would probably not leave without a buyout), although it's unlikely he would do so while Edwards was still employed.
But the bottom line here is that it's not as if Crow thinks that Anderson does not bear any responsibility for the NCAA investigation, which is taking place due to allegations that occurred under the watch of a head coach, whom Anderson was pushing HARD to be hired.
Crow knows that he has to play the long game here and have Anderson yield whatever influence he still has with the NCAA to mitigate the severity of the sanctions that are going to come down, and once those sanctions are a done deal (and if they are reasonable from ASU's perspective I do not see them appealing them), then Anderson and ASU are expected to part ways. I don't know if that parting of ways will include a full/limited/no buyout.
I'm not saying ASU fans should agree with this logic and course of action by Crow but wanted to still provide context to the current situation, the timeline involved, and what we can probably expect once the Notice of Allegations is served.
