Tag: shaun aguano

Arizona State scrambles to retain recruits after Herm Edwards’ departure, before NCAA penalties

As it prepares to play USC, Arizona State is a mess. How are the Sun Devils faring in their attempt to retain recruits and limit further damage to the program?

Herm Edwards went 26-20 in five years at Arizona State. There was an NCAA investigation into the school’s recruiting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arizona State was humiliated in the eyes of the nation because it was not only dragged into scandal, but also because it didn’t even get anything for its wayward activity which has drawn the ire of the NCAA and is about to drag the program downward. No Pac-12 championship, no New Year’s Six bowl, no 10-win season. Arizona State got caught without having achieved something first.

Now, Herm is gone, and the program is trying to move forward with its season under interim coach Shaun Aguano. The Sun Devils are conducting a coaching search, which apparently will continue under current athletic director Ray Anderson, who has not been fired by school president Michael Crow. It’s a complicated, tangled situation in Tempe, primarily because the NCAA hasn’t yet handed down punishments.

How will Arizona State move forward?

At the Wilner Hotline, college football recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman of 247Sports spoke with a few of the commits:

— RL Miller, a three-star linebacker from Sacred Heart Prep in San Francisco, said he’s hoping ASU hires from within the program and, if that’s the case, he’ll stick with his commitment.

— Another commit, three-star quarterback Israel Carter from Corona, California, said that he remains loyal and isn’t planning to leave at all.

Alexander is an interesting one to watch. His older brother, Junior, a receiver, signed with ASU in the 2021 class with assistant Prentice Gill as the primary recruiter. By the time Alexander got to campus, Gill had been placed on administrative leave. Alexander played as a true freshman, then transferred home to Washington.

Arizona State had the lowest-rated class in the Pac-12 at the time of Edwards’ departure and was among the lowest in the country for Power Five schools: No. 92 in the 247Sports database behind the likes of Liberty, Georgia Southern, Ball State and Rice.

Arizona State only has six commitments in the class of ’23, and none of them are from the state of Arizona which has been a problem for both the Wildcats (Univ of Arizona) and Arizona State as well.

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Getting to know Arizona State interim head coach Shaun Aguano

Meet the man who will oppose Lincoln Riley this Saturday. Shaun Aguano will coach his first two Pac-12 games against Utah and USC. Welcome to the big leagues!

Arizona State interim head coach Shaun Aguano is one of the most decorated and winningest coaches in Arizona high school football history. He joined the Sun Devil football program as running back coach in January of 2019 and took over as head coach for Herm Edwards after Week 3 of this season.

In eight seasons as head coach at Chandler High School, Aguano led the Wolves to an 88-19 record and four state championships. In 2018, Aguano won his third consecutive state championship (four in five years).

During Aguano’s tenure, his players at Chandler High included Paul Perkins, N’Keal Harry, Chase Lucas, and Brett Hundley. All are notable former players at Chandler who went on to have NFL careers.

Arizona State is coming off a lopsided loss. Saturday’s final against Utah was 34-13. It wasn’t even that close. The Sun Devils are 1-3 after that home loss to Utah and it doesn’t get any easier this week: ASU takes on No. 6 USC Saturday and the Devils are already underdogs by 26 points.

The Sun Devils are one of the most penalized teams in the country this season. They have been flagged 30 times in four games, resulting in 294 lost yards. Arizona State is a bottom-30 team in penalties and penalty yards.

Aguano will need all hands on deck this week, and a lot more discipline, as Arizona State goes on the road against USC.

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