Report: Arizona State “exploring financial implications” of moving on from Bobby Hurley

Arizona State is set to take on Utah on the road tonight in what will be their third-to-last game of the regular season. It’s been a long year for the Sun Devils, their first season in the Big 12 going about as poorly as anyone could’ve predicted.

The Utes team they’ll be facing has had a similar challenge in their adjustment to the new conference, currently sitting with a 15-13 (7-10) record. In fact, Utah turned heads this past Monday when they fired head coach Craig Smith, making them the first team to fire a coach this year.

According to one source familiar with the thinking of Arizona State athletics director Graham Rossini, the Sun Devils could soon be making a similar decision.

This source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stressed that Rossini has made no decisions regarding head coach Bobby Hurley’s future and that he intends to make such a decision only once the season – including the Big 12 conference tournament, which begins March 11 – has concluded.

That said, the source indicated that Rossini has at least been thinking about the prospect of moving on from Hurley once the coach concludes his 10th season in Tempe. Apparently, Rossini has spoken with multiple people within the university and athletics department for the purpose of “exploring financial implications” for Arizona State should they move on from Hurley after his 10th season in Tempe.

In the most immediate sense, this suggests that Rossini is evaluating his ability to pay Hurley’s buyout. That number was upped via a contract extension that Rossini’s predecessor, Ray Anderson, gave to the basketball coach two years ago. The new deal goes through the end of next season, meaning Hurley only has one effective year left on his contract as is.

Based on the language of the contract, Hurley’s buyout if fired without cause would entitle him to the entirety of his remaining base salary and any additional bonuses he’s eligible for at the time of being fired. With the way the contract was written, that means Arizona State would be on the hook for a little over $3 million, and potentially more if any of the various performance-based bonuses have been hit.

That could potentially complicate the decision for Rossini, as money is a hot topic in Tempe right now. Rossini revealed just a few weeks ago that the university is close to finalizing a deal to undertake a multi-year renovation project for the basketball arena.

On top of that, the success of the football program has created an additional need for money to be directed that way, primarily for coaches salaries to retain top assistants; Kenny Dillingham and both his coordinators received contract extensions during this past season.

And, of course, there’s the new revenue sharing model that Arizona State will partake in, starting this August, which will allow the university to directly pay its student athletes. While most of that money isn’t coming directly from the Arizona State coffers, it’s one more area where Rossini is directing funds.

Firing Hurley would throw a wrench in those plans, which is why he’s been working in advance to get a full sense of the financial feasibility of it all. After all, it’s not just about paying Hurley’s buyout: Rossini would also pay the (unknown) buyouts for Hurley’s assistants and pay new salaries to the next head coach and his assistants. That likely doubles the price tag at the very least.

The other option is to rework Hurley’s contract, likely something where Hurley gets another year added on (no coach is going to accept coaching into the final year of their contract) but with a reduced salary, and perhaps a spike in performance-based bonuses. Such a solution would essentially put Hurley in a prove-it year for the 2025-26 season, allowing Arizona State to move on more easily this time next year.

Of course, that kind of move would likely be a death knell for fan interest in the program. While Hurley has consistently excelled as a recruiter, it hasn’t mattered how good his teams have been, as the coach consistently fails to meet expectations on the court. It’s reached a new low this year, with multiple player ejections resulting in the team’s leading scorer being dismissed, and the controversy over Hurley’s supposed influx of NIL money was not a good look for the program.

Once again, this source stressed that, to their knowledge, no decision has been made on Hurley’s future. But Rossini has been doing his homework and will apparently be ready to make a decision, one way or the other, as soon as the Sun Devils are done with the conference tournament.

The situation certainly does not bode well for Hurley.