Arizona State on Friday introduced new men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley, and "in the span of 30 minutes," the program "became relevant," according to Doug Haller of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The hire is "important," as ASU has made just five NCAA Tournaments in 33 years. Hurley signed a five-year deal that -- pending approval from the Arizona Board of Regents -- will pay him $1.2M annually to start, and he is "in line to get $100,000 raises after the first three years and a $200,000 raise the final year" (AZCENTRAL.com, 4/10). In Phoenix, Dan Bickley wrote the hiring of Hurley, "inspiring as it seems, does not change the fact that Wells Fargo Arena is a recruiter's nightmare or that college basketball gets lost in a big-league market oversaturated with professional teams and entertainment options." But it is "stunning that ASU could pull in a name" like Hurley. Bickley: "He has energized the program without coaching a game. You can already feel the difference. ... With one big-name hire, the basketball program actually feels relevant" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/12). Haller noted hiring Hurley "was just the latest move" for the "overhaul" of the school's men's basketball program. ASU VP/Athletics Ray Anderson "recently assigned" Senior Associate AD David Cohen "to oversee the program." Cohen replaced Senior Associate AD Dawn Rogers, "who was re-assigned." Haller: "Coming soon: Renovating or replacing aging Wells Fargo Arena." Anderson: "We talked about the arena and our desire to upgrade the Game Day experience as one of our not-too-distant priorities" (AZCENTRAL.com, 4/11).
NEVER SHOW YOUR CARDS: In Phoenix, Paola Boivin noted Anderson "wouldn't reveal the details of the Hurley courtship but did say he had 'phone and face-to-face meetings.'" Anderson "did spend some time at the Final Four," and Hurley also "was there." ASU President Michael Crow "acknowledged he had FaceTime phone conversations with Hurley while the coach was on vacation with his wife in Aruba, a trip cut short because of the hire." Anderson: "We were very diligent about keeping everything under wraps" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/12).
DISPLEASED WITH NEGOTIATIONS: In Buffalo, Bucky Gleason cited sources as saying that Hurley “ultimately felt alienated" by the Univ. at Buffalo "after he led the program to its best season ever and used his notoriety to spread the word about Buffalo on a national level.” Hurley’s attitude “shifted in the days following the NCAAs, starting with UB leaking a story that suggested he had reached the parameters on a contract extension when, in fact, it was quite the opposite.” He thought it was a “classless attempt" by UB AD Danny White "to pressure him into an agreement while he was looking for more money for his assistant coaches.” Furthermore, White “refused to sit down with Hurley's agent after essentially telling his coach he didn't deal with agents” (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/11).
