Arizona State formally introduced its new football head coach, former ESPN analyst and NFL coach Herm Edwards, on Monday morning in Tempe, Ariz. There were some interesting moments, to say the least, so I decided to break them all down for you.
8 awkward moments from Herm Edwards’ introduction at Arizona State
His agent introduced him, he went on an NFL rivalry rant, and more!
Via @ASUFootball/Twitter
1. First, Edwards’ current agent took the podium during the introductory presser.
This is pretty uncommon in these situations.
2. Arizona State AD Ray Anderson, who used to be Edwards’ agent back in the day, introduced him a little awkwardly, too:
3. Edwards finally took the podium, and he was extremely fired up
Here’s a taste of what he had to say:
Also, not quite sure what this means, but!
4. He’s still got some strong opinions about the NFL.
At one point, when he was asked about the Arizona-Arizona State rivalry, he went into a rant about — wait for it -- the NFL lacking rivalries!
5. Uh, he may not actually know what ASU’s mascot is?
Additionally at one point, when Edwards was asked a question by a reporter with Devil’s Digest, he said that he was Catholic, and he should “watch out for them devils.” Yes, ASU’s mascot is a Sun Devil.
6. He also used the term “CEO” to describe his role as a head coach.
Don’t think I’ve heard that one before!
7. A couple days later, Edwards was introduced to compression jerseys.
He was very confused, and when presented with one, he hilariously asked if it was a girl’s jersey.
The full exchange can be found below right at the 45-second mark.
8. ASU’S release on the official hiring of Edwards, read like a company announcing a new CEO, too:
Arizona State University and Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson has unveiled plans for a restructured ASU football model and named former NFL head coach Herman Edwards as the 24th head coach of Sun Devil Football, pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents.
The department’s New Leadership Model will be similar to an NFL approach using a general manager structure. It’s a collaborative approach to managing the ASU football program that includes sport and administrative divisions, which will operate as distinct, but collective units focused on elevating all aspects of Sun Devil Football. This structure will allow the department to form a multi-layered method to the talent evaluation and recruiting processes, increase its emphasis on both student-athlete and coach development and retention, and provide a boost in resource allocation and generation.
“Our goal for this football program is to reach unprecedented heights, and therefore we need to find a way to operate more innovatively and efficiently than we have in the past,” Anderson said. “In the spirit of innovation, our vision for this program is to have a head coach who serves as a CEO and is the central leader with a collaborative staff around him that will elevate the performance of players and coaches on the field, in the classroom and in our community. Equally important, the head coach will be a dynamic and tireless recruiter.”
Edwards, who will oversee the New Leadership Model, arrives in Tempe with a football legacy that has impacted thousands, whether as a player, coach, analyst, motivational speaker and author, or community advocate and philanthropist.
Seeing Edwards back in coaching at the collegiate level will take some getting used to, especially with his unique approach to the role. But Anderson has a lot of familiarity with Edwards, and the new coach plans to carry out Anderson’s wishes of keeping offensive coordinator Billy Napier and defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. Who knows, maybe this will work out.
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