CBS Sports: Candidates to replace Herm Edwards at Arizona State

It wasn’t a surprise that Herm Edwards was fired by Arizona State. What was a surprise was how long the decision took. With NCAA allegations that the program broke recruiting protocols during the COVID-19 dead period and an underperforming team on the field, things were no longer tenable.

Now, the question is who will replace Herm Edwards at Arizona State?

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd has put together a list of 11 candidates who would make sense in his mind to replace Herm Edwards. Arizona State has a lot of potential as a program, but it hasn’t lived up to that potential. This next coach will need to tap into it.

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Here are Dennis Dodd’s candidates to replace Herm Edwards:

1. Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers head coach
2. Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
3. Dan Mullen, ESPN analyst
4. Todd Monken, Georgia offensive coordinator
5. Hugh Freeze, Liberty head coach
6. Bryan Harsin, Auburn head coach
7. Deion Sanders, Jackson State head coach
8. Tom Herman, CBS Sports analyst
9. Mike Norvell, Florida State head coach
10. Justin Wilcox, Cal head coach
11. Rick Neuheisel, CBS Sports analyst

Dennis Dodd started his list to replace Herm Edwards with two current NFL coaches. Of course, most NFL coaches wouldn’t leave their job for the college game, but Matt Rhule might not have an option. After rebuilding Temple and Baylor, things haven’t gone well in Carolina. Meanwhile, Bryon Leftwich is a talented offensive mind who might jump on an opportunity to be a head coach.

Dan Mullen is an interesting candidate. He’s currently working for ESPN. Previously, however, he was a great offensive mind in the SEC who didn’t recruit well enough to keep up.

“He’s on the typical TV analyst rehab tour for a year to keep his name out there. Not that he needed it. Arizona State needs an identity. Mullen, with his offensive chops, would be that identity. Yes, he’s quirky. Maybe more than that. But as currently structured, Mullen could win the PAC-12. Soon,” Dennis Dodd wrote.

Next up is Todd Monken. As long as he keeps succeeding at Georgia, his name will always come up in these conversations. Programs are going to want a piece of Georgia’s success. After that is Hugh Freeze. The Liberty coach proved he could succeed while at Ole Miss, but he comes with a lot of baggage that many Power 5 schools want nothing to do with.

Bryan Harsin wouldn’t leave an SEC job to replace Herm Edwards at a PAC-12 school, most likely. However, like Rhule, Harsin might not get to choose if he sticks around or not. It’s an open secret that Auburn wants to fire him and he’d be more comfortable on the west coast anyway. On the other hand, you have Deion Sanders. Some might see hiring Coach Prime as a gimmick, but the truth is he can recruit and win on the field and deserves consideration.

Tom Herman and Rick Neuheisel are both analysts for CBS and have been out of coaching for multiple seasons. However, before things fell apart at Texas, Herman was one of the best young minds in the game. Then, Dodd explained why he likes Neuheisel for the job.

“The 61-year-old Neuheisel lives in the Phoenix area and a brilliant football mind with deep West Coast ties. He doesn’t necessarily fit Anderson’s profile of a young hire. We’ve got a solution. Arizona State is going to need something unique as it is likely to go on NCAA probation. It also needs to stand aside. [Michael] Crow is an overbearing presence who flipped on Edwards in a heartbeat. Split the baby in two and make Neuheisel associate head coach/offensive coordinator for the new guy.”

Finally, you have two sitting Power 5 head coaches, Justin Wilcox and Mike Norvell. Wilcox is a good coach, but Cal has proven to have more extensive limitations than most other schools in the country. Meanwhile, Norvell has Arizona State ties but with his early success in 2022, he’s probably out of reach for the Sun Devils.