Amid NCAA investigation and sluggish 1-2 start, Herm Edwards out as Arizona State football coach

Arizona State and Herm Edwards came to a mutual agreement to end his coaching tenure on Sunday, with athletic director Ray Anderson announcing the decision in a social media post.

Sun Devils players were brought together earlier in the day, to be informed of the school's decision, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Sunday.

«We have made the decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program, effective immediately. By mutual agreement, coach Edwards and I have determined that he will relinquish duties as our head coach,» Anderson wrote. «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.»

Arizona State lost at home to Eastern Michigan, 30-21, Saturday night and is amid a significant NCAA investigation. The Sun Devils are 1-2 and have lost consecutive games. Last week, Arizona State fell at Oklahoma State, 34-17.

Edwards managed to hold onto his job after an up-and-down 2021, but his status all season has been shaky. 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 coach, was considered an unconventional hire when he was tapped by Crow and Anderson 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 loquacious coach changed the narrative his first few seasons in Tempe, proving to be an adept recruiter while