ASU Football Coaching Profiles: Head Coach Herm Edwards

A long-time staple of the football community, Herm Edwards was announced as the head coach of the Arizona State football program in December of 2017.

Replacing former head coach Todd Graham who was fired after six seasons in Tempe, Edwards’ wealth of experience was designed to signal a turning point for Arizona State football. He also carried the distinction of being the first African-American head coach in program history.

Vice President of Athletics Ray Anderson laid out high expectations for the Edwards regime including being a perennial Top 15 program in the nation and consistently contending for Pac-12 titles.

Now after four seasons, the Sun Devils have had mixed success under Edwards’ leadership with a combined record of 25-18. They have finished as high as second in the Pac-12 South and third place in both 2019 and 2021.

After stating that he wished to run the Arizona State program like an NFL general manager, Edwards has been notably successful in propelling a high number of players from his program into the pros. During his tenure, nine Sun Devils have had their name called on draft night and are currently playing in the NFL.

Since taking over, the program has had its share of ups and downs. A late November win over #6 Oregon in 2019 made many fans believe the program was on its upswing and preparing to take the next step to national relevancy. Other moments such as a Week Seven loss to Utah in 2021 that knocked ASU out of the national rankings have made other reconsider their feeling about the head coach.

Before discussing his current standing with fans, let’s look at the background of Herm Edwards and why he was chosen to lead the program.