TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State fired football coach Herm Edwards in his fifth season following an ugly home loss to Eastern Michigan and a lingering NCAA investigation into illegal recruiting practices.
Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson announced the decision on Sunday, a day after the Sun Devils lost 30-21 to Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference as heavy favorites.
Edwards went 46-26 at Arizona State, including 1-2 this season and 17-14 in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils never won more than eight games in a season under Edwards.
Running backs coach Shaun Aguano will serve as interim coach.
"We have made the decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program, effective immediately," Anderson said in a statement. "By mutual agreement, coach Edwards and I have determined that he will relinquish duties as our head coach. At the core of this is doing what is best for our current team, staff and university. I understand the frustrations out there. We must do better and that starts with our decision today."
Edwards managed to hold onto his job after an up-and-down 2021, but another shaky loss led to his firing three games into the season. Arizona State is still awaiting word on possible NCAA sanctions for allegedly hosting recruits on campus during an NCAA-mandated COVID-19 dead period in 2020.
Edwards, a former NFL head coach, was considered an unconventional hire when he was tapped to lead the middling program. A former NFL agent, Anderson represented Edwards during his playing days with the New York Jets.
Edwards spent the nine previous years as an NFL TV analyst and had not been a college coach since serving as San Jose State's defensive backs coach from 1987-89.
The Sun Devils begin Pac-12 play next with three ranked teams: No. 13 Utah at home Saturday, followed by No. 7 Southern California and No. 18 Washington.
