Bobby Hurley’s future with Sun Devils remains unclear despite recent reports

Tuesday was an eventful day for Arizona State basketball.

Just hours before the Sun Devils lost a close one to Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports broke the news that embattled head coach Bobby Hurley would be retained for next season.

However, since then there has been additional reporting that provided added clarity to the situation and it seems that Hurley’s status is still somewhat up in the air. Chris Karpman offered this insight into the situation as it currently stands.

We had previously reported that Arizona State had begun exploring the financial implications of moving on from Hurley, and in that report we broke down the economic factors that might make athletics director Graham Rossini more hesitant to fire Hurley despite such a disappointing season:

“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.

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.”

In the wake of this latest report, it sounds as if Rossini is simply choosing not to fire Hurley, and thereby be forced to pay his buyout, but there is not yet an agreement for Hurley to actually come back next year.

Confused? Don’t be.

Hurley is currently under contract through 2026, the end of next season. However, it’s extremely rare for coaches at this level to work into the final year of their contract; the uncertainty makes it harder to recruit and even hire and retain assistant coaches. It would certainly also have an impact on NIL donations and fan attendance if the head coach is perceived to be a lame duck.

As it currently stands, Rossini is declining to move on from Hurley but also has not offered his coach a contract extension. Karpman reported that Hurley’s agent is seeking one – likely with some sort of reduced buyout figure to entice Rossini, as we’ve previously suggested might happen – but he seems unsure it will come together.

So what happens if an extension doesn’t materialize? That’s where things get interesting.

Hurley won’t want to be a lame duck coach, which is why his agent is pushing for an extension. If that isn’t going to happen, though, Hurley could seek to leave for another coaching job. He certainly wouldn’t be the first coach to depart a program under such circumstances.

Of course, Hurley isn’t exactly a hot candidate right now. His four losing seasons in the past five years has cast a shadow on Hurley’s reputation, though his recruiting efforts are still noteworthy. Could he entice a smaller program looking for experience?

Take South Florida, for example. The Bulls were run by an interim head coach all year due to the tragic loss of their head coach right before the season began, and they’re about to hire their third head coach in as many years. Hurley would offer a steady hand and proven recruiter who might succeed in a slightly dimmer limelight.

Oral Roberts is a traditionally dominant mid-major that usually has their head coach poached by bigger programs. They promoted from within two years ago, but just fired that coach after two straight losing seasons. Hurley would certainly attract eyeballs to the historically great program.

Even NC State might have interest. The Wolfpack fired Kevin Keatts just one year after he took them to the Elite Eight, so Hurley likely won’t be at the top of their list. That said, NC State isn’t going to be at the top of many other candidates’ lists either – not with Indiana and Virginia open, as well as other jobs that will open up as the carousel really starts spinning. The Wolfpack are expected to cast a wide net, so Hurley might be part of their candidate pool after all.

Hurley could also opt to leave for the NBA as an assistant coach or perhaps just take a year off. A mutual parting of ways might work out for everyone: Arizona State gets a fresh start without ponying up the buyout money, and Hurley gets to extricate himself from a situation where he isn’t receiving a long-term commitment.

Now, all of this could change if the two sides come to an agreement on an extension that’s favorable to both sides. It just doesn’t sound like that’s imminent at this point. And the longer this stalemate goes on, the higher the odds get that a split will, indeed, happen.

All of this to say: we’re not out of the woods yet as it relates to Hurley’s job status in Tempe. Stay tuned, folks.