ASU Football: Is Herm Edwards built for college football?

Herm Edwards has carried criticism ever since he took the reins of ASU football. But with the team’s opener just days away, is it reasonable to think that the college game may suit him best?

Herm Edwards is a man of the people. Wherever he goes, the cameras will follow. It’s a lifestyle he’s had to get used to since the birth of “Hermisms” and his eight-year career at ESPN.

But as the 64-year-old prepares to coach his first college football game, he won’t be craving personal attention. He wants it for his team.

At Saturday’s practice, Edwards told reporters that he wouldn’t play a role in deciding his players’ routine leading up to their home opener against UTSA on Sept. 1. It’s a decision he wants to leave in their hands.

“When Friday night hits, every player handles it differently,” Edwards said. “They just do. And I say that as a former player, not as a coach. And I got to make sure they all feel comfortable with Friday night, how we do things, and then Saturday, how they approach the game and play, because it’s a long time, a long wait.”

A long wait is what Edwards, ASU fans and the national media have endured to see him on the sidelines for the first time in 10 years. Edwards himself said the return will make him feel “at home.”

But even then, he doesn’t want that to be the storyline. Edwards announced at the same media session on Monday that he won’t even run in front of the team when they exit the tunnel before game time.

"“I won’t run in front of them,” Edwards told reporters. “I won’t. It’s about the team. I’ll speak to them before they pass Tillman, and I said it when I first took the job: if they play with his passion and his enthusiasm and his effort, they can live with the result of the game.”Edwards continued. “It’s a players’ game. It’s not a coach’s game. The cameras should never come to me. I just say, ‘it’s about the guys on the field.’ It’s about the 22 guys playing. That’s where the game is played– on the field. Don’t take it away from those guys, just keep it on them. That’s the important thing for me.”"

This “player first” mentality is a rarity in today’s game. If a star won’t emerge on a college football team, the next recognizable face would typically be the coach. And not all of them would come out to say something like this.

That’s why the Edwards experiment just might work.

Throughout his previous years of coaching, Edwards has garnered a reputation as a teacher. Even at an outside glance, his passion and tone create speech that you can’t help but listen to.

However, some feel that Edwards is just that: a teacher and not a coach. He finished just 6-26 in his last two seasons coaching the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, a mark that led to his dismissal after the 2008 season.

Edwards has since been paired with a microphone and camera, but he remained adamant in saying that his fire to coach football hadn’t burned out.

In the public appearances he’s made since being hired by ASU last December, Edwards has backed up those words. He showed heavy emotions while mentioning how football “ignites my soul” in his introductory press conference, working with the defensive backs in his “SC Featured” special for ESPN and his messages in recent availability sessions.

The aspect of teaching hasn’t gone away either. Edwards suspended senior Jay Jay Wilson indefinitely for violating team rules, a sign that he holds his team to high character standards. Wilson’s suspension will continue through the team’s first game.

Edwards’ fire and dedication to mentorship bode well for a first-year college coach. But at the end of the day, his success will be determined by how well these tools affect his players, a sign measured in wins and losses.

So far, the signs have been good. Both N’Keal Harry and Manny Wilkins spoke highly of Edwards at Pac-12 Media Day, and his personality appeared to have captured the attention of his team at the Spring Game and preseason practices.

At the NFL level, Edwards didn’t have the on-the-field success that would have you wanting more. The end of his career came after a messy rebuild project with the Chiefs, a hint that his coaching days could be over.

At the college level, Edwards has a chance to thrive. He’s a teacher, and his student-athletes are there to be taught. It’s stressed that by the time they leave the program, they’re ready to succeed in the professional world.

Edwards will have them ready to do just that. If they buy in to what he offers as a coach, this project could grow into something special.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand from Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.