ASU Football Coaching Profiles: Head Coach Herm Edwards
By Kyler Burd
Before Arizona State, Herm Edwards was an NFL player, head coach, and analyst.
Born in New Jersey in 1954, Edwards played college football at the University of California and San Diego State University in the 1970s before going undrafted in 1976. Signing with the Philadelphia Eagles he would play defensive back in Philly for nine seasons from 1977 to 1985.
A good cornerback, his 33 career interceptions are still second on the list of career interceptions for an Eagles player. He was with the team during their 1980 run to Super Bowl XV which they ultimately lost 27-10 to the Oakland Raiders.
His most notable playing moment came during a 1978 matchup against the New York Giants in which he took advantage of a bad handoff and returned a fumble for a touchdown giving Philadelphia the last-second win. That moment became known as The Miracle at the Meadowlands and gave rise to the now well-known victory formation.
After his playing career came to an end, Herm Edwards rose through the coaching ranks before being named the head coach of the New York Jets in 2001. As the head coach, he had a 39-41 record and the notability of taking the Jets to the playoffs three times. He also has the distinction of being the last Jets coach to win the AFC East.
In a very rare move, the Jets traded Edwards to the Kansas City Chiefs for a fourth-round pick in 2006. His three years there were generally unsuccessful and he was fired in 2009 after a 2-14 season and a combined 15-33 record.
Edwards bounced back and after his coaching career had seemingly come to an end, he was hired by ESPN to provide football analysis.