(Photo courtesy of Buffalo News)
The month-long search for the new Arizona State men’s basketball coach has come to an end as it was reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Bobby Hurley will be the new coach.
Hurley, 43, was most recently the head coach at Buffalo, leading the Bulls to an NCAA Tournament bid last season and a 42-20 record in his two seasons at the helm.
Under Hurley, Buffalo won back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Conference East Division championships and the MAC Tournament in 2015.
“Bobby is energetic, passionate and tough, and his contagious competitive fire will bring unmatched vigor to our men’s basketball program,” ASU Athletic Director Ray Anderson said in an official statement. “A teacher, first and foremost, he is a proven winner as both a player and a coach, and understands the steps it takes to be a champion.”
This decision comes days after Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel announced he was taking himself out of the running to be ASU’s next head coach despite reports that he was the frontrunner for the decision.
This is just Hurley’s second head coaching gig at the Division-I level. He spent some time as an assistant coach at Wagner College under his brother Dan Hurley and then followed his brother when Dan was hired at Rhode Island.
Bobby Hurley is well known for his playing days at Duke, where he was a part of the 1991 and 1992 National Championship teams. As the point guard for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1989-1993, Hurley was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1992, helped lead Duke to three consecutive Final Four appearances (1991, 1992 and 1993) and was a consensus first-team All-American his senior year in 1993. His No. 11 jersey hangs in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Hurley also still stands as the NCAA’s all-time leader in assists with 1,076.
In the 1993 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings selected Hurley with the No. 7 overall pick. Despite a brutal car accident midway through his rookie season, Hurley would go on to play five seasons for the Kings and the Vancouver Grizzlies before retiring in 1998.
“We conducted an exhaustive search and after numerous discussions with many of basketball’s most knowledgeable and respected individuals, one thing became clear: Bobby is the right person to lead this program to new heights,” Anderson continued. “We have a leader who, along with our university and our community, is committed to helping Sun Devil Basketball thrive.
“With Bobby at the helm, we will provide the necessary resources to compete within our state, our conference and across the nation. We are intent on becoming an elite men’s basketball program.”
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
