Hiring of Bobby Hurley is Smart Move for Arizona State Basketball

By Tim Letcher
Mark Zerof, USA TODAY SPORTS
Mark Zerof, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Arizona State Sun Devils have hired Bobby Hurley as their new head basketball coach, bringing a “name” coach in to replace the fired Herb Sendek.

Hurley, of course, was the point guard for the Duke Blue Devils in the early 1990s, when Duke won back-to-back national championships. The son of a legendary coach, Hurley was a coach on the floor for those Duke teams.

More recently, Hurley has been the head coach at Buffalo, where he took the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Buffalo lost in the first round, but Hurley clearly showed that he’s an up and coming head coach in college basketball.

While the younger generation may not be as aware of Hurley, he will have credibility in recruiting when dealing with the parents of today’s top players. As a player, Hurley was known for his smarts and hustle, something that could appeal to the parents of today’s players.

The biggest challenge for Hurley will be sharing the same state with the Arizona Wildcats. Sean Miller has built his program into one of the best in the country, and Hurley will have to catch up in a hurry to compete with the Wildcats.

Hurley needs to improve the talent on the Arizona State roster, and he will use his name to compete for the top recruits in the country. If he is able to get better players on campus, Hurley has already shown an ability to develop and coach players, which will make the team better.

The hiring of Hurley is a smart move by Arizona State. While he may not improve the program right away, if he’s given the chance, Arizona State should be a player in the Pac-12 very soon.

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like