TEMPE, Ariz. — Bobby Hurley’s tenure as Arizona State’s coach is over after 11 up-and-down seasons.
Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini announced Wednesday that Hurley’s contract would not be renewed, just hours after the Sun Devils’ blowout 91-42 loss to No. 7 Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament.
Hurley will be put on paid administrative leave through the remainder of his contract, which ends in June.
“Bobby Hurley has made incredible contributions to the sport of basketball, and that certainly includes many memorable moments during his time as our head coach,” Rossini said in a statement. “While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney, Bobby Jr., and he spent with us at ASU. We wish Coach well moving forward and we are thankful for his leadership while at ASU.”
Hurley led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament three times, including two straight in 2018 and 2019, but he needed to make another March Madness run if his contract was going to be extended.
Arizona State fell well short, finishing 12th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 at 7-11 and 17-16 overall following the 91-42 loss to Iowa State in Kansas City – the most lopsided game in Big 12 history.
Hurley finished 185-167 in 11 seasons at Arizona State, leaving as the second-winningest coach in program history behind Ned Wulk.
“Throughout this journey, my family and I formed lasting friendships and created incredible memories,” Hurley posted on X. “We experienced multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, remarkable wins at Desert Financial Arena, and the joy of watching our children become Sun Devil alumni.
“To all the players — thank you. It has been my greatest privilege to coach so many outstanding young men, and I will always treasure our time together.”
Arizona State got Hurley’s 11th season off to a solid start, with a runner-up finish at the Maui Invitational and a close loss to No. 8 Gonzaga.
The rest of it was a challenge as the Sun Devils struggled with injuries and inconsistencies.
The Sun Devils picked up solid home wins against Kansas State and Cincinnati but were blown out by No. 8 Houston, West Virginia and rival Arizona in a January stretch that left Hurley dejected.
“We failed. I’m failing. I can’t get through to the team,” Hurley said after a 75-63 loss to West Virginia on Jan. 21. “I don’t know what else I can say.”
Arizona State pulled off an upset over No. 14 Kansas in Hurley’s final home game but was trounced by Iowa State four days later. The Sun Devils beat Baylor in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament before being bounced by Iowa State with a lackluster performance.
It’s unclear if Arizona State would accept an invitation to a lesser postseason tournament, such as the NIT or the College Basketball Crown, in which the Sun Devils played last year.
“He changed my life,” Arizona State senior Allen Mukeba said. “It’s a blessing for me, just a blessing to be a part of this team, everything we went through, the way coach was coaching. It was just an amazing year. I got nothing else to say about that.”
Hurley arrived in the desert with great fanfare and the hope of turning around a program that had been to the NCAA tournament twice the previous 18 seasons.
A two-time national champion at Duke and still the NCAA’s assists leader, Hurley was hired after leading Buffalo to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2015.
Hurley led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament in his third season and did it again in 2018 and 2019. Arizona State appeared to be in good position to reach the NCAA tournament in three straight seasons since the 1960s the following year, but March Madness was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sun Devils have struggled to regain their footing since, reaching the NCAA tournament in 2023 but finishing with a losing record the other four seasons. Fan interest also waned, to the point there seemed to be more Arizona fans at Desert Financial Arena than Arizona State fans for the Jan. 31 rivalry game.
“We have not played well here in years, like since before COVID,” Hurley said. “We had this place cooking before COVID. Now it’s a sterile environment. We don’t win here. We don’t give our fans any reason to show up with enthusiasm to think that we’re going to win a basketball game. We have been dreadful at home for years.”
