Nov. 26, 2006

To hear Lisa Love address the media, click the link below:

Listen to Sunday night's press conference with the Vice President for University Athletics

To hear Dirk Koetter address the media, click the link below:

Listen to Coach Koetter address the media on Sunday night

Vice President for University Athletics Lisa Love

 

Opening Statement:

This was not a very easy decision to make; I can say that with some clarity.  I'll tell you that I'm making a change in the leadership of the football program at Arizona State University.  I want to first note that Dirk Koetter has done remarkable work in raising the level of ASU football.  I'm incredibly cognizant of the fact that he has taken us to three bowls in five years and hopefully soon four bowls in six years.  I am aware of what he has done for the academic profile of the football program and many other admirable qualities that the man brings to the table.  Perhaps there is nothing more indicative of his character than the fact that he wanted a very open and honest end of the year banquet.  Our dynamic right now is such that, at ASU, we have an end of the year banquet right after the last football game. With that in mind, he did not want to go into it with any dishonesty or false smiles he wanted to address that big striped elephant in the room in a very candid way, in a very admirable way, in a very forthcoming way, so that's exactly what we did.  Today went this morning with a phone call from me to Dirk, telling him of my final decision with regard to changing in the position and at 4 o'clock he addressed the football team.  Shortly after he addressed the football team I addressed the football team.  From there we went into a banquet reception then on to the banquet, which they are still involved in right now.  I suppose there could be a lot of questions that I'll try to address on the front end regarding my decision making on this.  Of course we went seven and five and in making this decision and in no way shape or form do I want to take away form victories over NAU, Nevada, Colorado, the Washington schools, Stanford, and the University of Arizona last night. A Big victory for the Sun Devils, a very important victory for the Sun Devils.  He has put us on a wonderful stage and has done some wonderful work but we are looking for a higher platform.  In so saying, I looked at the extension last year and the discussions we made and the administrative resources committed to the football program. I was looking for competitive traction on a higher notch and where we struggled in big games this year became problematic.  Therefore, it led me to make the decision that I have made.  I am telling you that I am resolute. This is not easy and there is a lot of pain involved because there are a lot of honorable people involved but I am resolute in what I believe Arizona State football can be and will be.  This university behind Michael Crow's leadership is on a rather remarkable trajectory.  He sees the vision as one of the great public institutions in the United States and therein we want a great football program that emulates that kind of institution.  And that's what we seek and that's what the goal is. 

 

On Dirk Koetter coaching ASU's bowl game:

Yes. I have invited him to coach the bowl game and he has accepted.  And we will find out sooner rather than later I hope.  The bowl committees are meeting now.  I have had a couple of conversations but whether or not they wait on the outcome of the USC/UCLA game or whether they decide to extend invitations prior to that we will see.  I have invited him and his staff to the game I feel that they have earned it.

  

What factors went in to this decision:

I would answer that by probably going back, I may have beat some of you to the punch when taking a look at the extension clips.  When your looking at everything, and I have looked at all of this over the last five years.  I looked at this year and the complete body of work and what we were looking for, you may write or you may ask me about the extension decision or you may look at the finances invested.  The finances invested in his position are not the only things I have invested in.  After the extension and evaluating the last five years I said what do we need to do, what do we need to do, because offensively what I witnessed last year was a offense that was hurt, a second team quarterback, Rudy Carpenter, who replaced Sam Keller last year and we did wonderful work, wonderful work, but we still put up great points. My comment to him what do we need to do to balance this so that we are competing at a higher notch and I use the terms that we are not so competitively fragile, that's the way I put it.  In so doing, we made investments in defensive staff as well.  So you may focus on his salary or his position but I was pushing for the other side aggressively.  I do not know how to be shy about this and I don't want to sit in traffic, so what is it going to take for the investment on the defensive side of the football.  We went into this season and you witnessed the same thing that I did.  You witnessed a tremendous improvement from the defense and you witnessed a Sun Devil running game where Ryan Torain went over 1,000 yards and Keegan Herring also went over 500 yards in our running game.  But we did not through the season and gain the kind of competitive traction at the higher notch that I believe is imperative for ASU football.  I understand as well as you do that as long as there is an opponent there is no predictive outcome.  You don't always know that you are going to go 11-1, 12-0, 9-3, there's no crystal ball to predict that.  Having said that, there is competitive competency or a competitive push that you know when your team takes the field against whoever the whole line up of the conference, that middle group lets say, Oregon State's latest run, UCLA, USC, Cal, Oregon that particular pocket of teams there's an expectation of the way you are going to take the field.  We did not gain the kind of traction through the season competitively on a higher platform that I believe will be the profile of Arizona State University football. 

 

 

General comments on Coach Koetter:

I was so impressed with him offensively.  I look back at Arizona State's history over the last 28 years, not just Dirk Koetters stint, but through 28 years and getting us into those bowls as he did.  Then I thought, wow, if we can balance this offensive prowess with defensive prowess then we potentially have a wonderful dynamic on our hands with the football program while we are also, and this may not be something that you particularly like to write about or is not that glamorous, but the academic profile of the team is also doing quite well.  So thinking that perhaps on the defensive side of the football after the last five years and evaluating it looking at the last 28 years of ASU football, if we can balance this equation we've got a beast.  We didn't gain that kind of traction for whatever reasons.

 

 

 

Did the scores of the Cal and Oregon games have an impact:
It would affect my thinking.  You could keep going; I liked that second half against USC a lot.  The competitive measure of the program is what we are seeking.  I know you are looking for emphatic and definitive type of answers but all of that rolled into the body of a performance of a football program is what we are looking for.

 

When does the search begin:

It starts now it starts immediately.  I think I said this last time in this kind of a setting; it starts five minutes ago.  I'm on it.  I don't have any intent now on the upfront to hire a search firm or any of those types of other things.  The most important thing I'm doing right now is hiring a football coach for Arizona State.

 

Have you contacted anyone:

No, I have not made any preliminary contact with potential candidates. 

 

What are you looking for in the new coach:

I would not assign any parameters at this point.  I am attracted to people who have a rather powerful profile.  If I defined for you what we were seeking at Arizona State and what we are doing right and what we have accomplished now at 7-5 and what we were seeking, then what I would tell you is that obviously we would be looking for someone who understands and can coach in that kind of arena.  Perhaps there is a powerful resume, perhaps there is a lot of coaching at very high levels, those kind of things that people are comfortable with, something that they are accustomed to be in those kind of settings and recruit at that kind of level and create a program to that kind of level.  I'm looking for those kinds of candidates that fit that mark and perhaps that kind of experience would be very high on the list. 

 

 

What I want to hire is...let me put it this way.  It's less about charm and things of that nature, it's more about big talent and balance and competitive grit goes a long way.  You would have to tell me this I don't know this answer.  But I would ask you this.  How charming is Frank Kush?  I know our competitive market, but I don't shy away from that. I understand it.  We are the only college, and it's one heck of a college in this incredibly vibrant metropolitan area.  It's a pretty powerful dynamic, you know where the Fiesta Bowl started and where it is now.  You know where all these things have grown.  This is a very candid community.  My sense with a collegiate football power is we can coexist very successfully with our wonderful pro franchise partners.  This doesn't have to be an either or, this is a college dynamic, that's a professional dynamic.  More power to our friends in the professional ranks many Sun Devils are in those front offices.  My sense is that it's the collegiate dynamic and really going big with ASU in this metropolitan area. 

 

 

How much did public opinion affect your decision:

If I entered this position or this job that I have at Arizona State with the idea that I was going to be swayed by public opinion, I'd be in trouble.  Because what would happen, and you asked me what I have heard, some say one thing, that they are angry and that they want a change. Others have an understandable respect for this man and who he is and would like to stay with him.  If you flip a coin in my chair, you would come up with diversity of opinion or that's the right decision and that's the nature of the beast.  Although, I will tell you this, I listen. I listen.  I want my finger on the pulse.  I want to know what Sun Devils are feeling and thinking.  I listen and I respond to the best I can.  I work very hard on my 100% response rate because I understand passion, and I understand frustration, and I understand drive.  Know that all has to balance with an intellectual approach with how we get there.  If I talk about being great in a college town and a college environment how far are we going without either suffering or celebration?  Either one of the two were in trouble.  I have heard both but certainly it's not something that effects where I'm going but I am attentive.

 

How will this affect recruiting:

Anytime your in a transition of this type of situation you have a lot of work to do to salvage the recruiting, so we will be working diligently with staffing and what we will be able to do to make those contacts while I work at diligent but progressive speed to put a replacement staff in place.  This is a great institution it has a lot to offer. It's fabulous, it's a wonderful place to be, and it is not a difficult place to recruit to.  We have to move swiftly at creating that kind of dynamic. 

 

Was the financial aspect a factor:

No, it did not impact the decision.  That is something I will have to address.  That is something I will have and do have a plan to address and will get after that as much as I am getting at the concept of hiring a new head football coach.  It is not something that made me shy back and say, I can't do it because I have to do this buy out.  If I believe it is right for the program, then I have got to solve that problem and I've got to solve that problem.  We will get that done; we will have a plan to get that done.  It's critical.  I believe that we will have some very aggressive and big thinking people that will help in that regard.

 

When was the decision made:

We had very good discussions, Dirk and I did last week before the U of A game and I extended concern about where we were.  The final decision was this morning. We won a big game last night.  You want to give everything as you are working through your emotions.  I gave what I would call a 24 hour test where you try to put your head on the pillow, sort through it, you know, let the emotional furor die down a little, get back in a rational state of mind and then make the call.

 

What are the goals for the program:

The next person that I will be hiring won't be shy about this, they will fully understand the goals.  The winner of the Pac-10 conference plays in the Rose Bowl.  The Rose Bowl is the goal of Sun Devil football.  No one should approach me about this job if they don't understand that and if they don't understand what is going on at Arizona State University because it is pretty powerful stuff. 

 

 

How much will the new coach be paid:

It's not an open checkbook if that's what you mean.  It will certainly be something that I will work with depending on the talent and what needs to be negotiated to get the right person for the job.

 

What was the team's reaction:

The team has a great deal of affection for the head coach.  Rightfully so and I completely respect and understand that.  I told the team in the most admirable ways about the difficulty in making a decision like this and about the standards of Arizona State football and what we aspire to be and what we will be.  I understand they're hurt, but we will be working very hard to replace (the old coaching staff) with a very, very powerful coaching staff. 

 

Any players talking about transferring:

I haven't gotten that far down the river yet.  We will see about that and handle those issues as they may occur.  It's a pretty good returning team.  We have a terrific schedule next year.  Those are pretty good reasons to stick around. 

 

Will you use a search firm:

I used a firm for Coach Sendek.  They were very helpful with things I needed in terms of logistics.  I had a nice pared down negotiated firm fee.  I did not want them to sit in on interviews. I gave them my list and said fly me here and get them there.  I just needed logistical help.  In this particular case I do not feel that I need that assistance. If I feel that I do, I will call on them to help me.

 

When do you plan on announcing the new hire:

We will work as fast as we can.  I cannot give a timetable.  I wish we could say this will be done.  In the basketball case I think it was 21 to 23 days.  It's difficult to say, what I can say is that it will be aggressive.  It will be hard. It will be fast.  Because we are in a recruiting cycle that coaches can get out tomorrow morning.  I understand the sensitivity to that and we will work as quickly as we possibly can. 

 

What about the financial burden on the University:

I have to have a plan to solve that financial problem you just raised and I believe I will be able to do that successfully without a taxpayer type burden.  The benefit afforded a student to go to ASU or any of our three Arizona campuses is terrific and I think tuition issues are different issues to the degree that they are funding a very large campus and a very large university in an effective way.  In athletics, we are able to fund ourselves.  We would like not to have our hand out to have university support.  We would like a vibrant and full stadium and wonderful donor support.  I don't know of any collegiate powerhouse that doesn't have a prolific donor base that makes it go and go big so that it's not a taxpayer issue.  In our case, we want our Sun Angel Foundation to be prolific and help drive what needs to be driven for Arizona State to be successful as it should be and that's a project that needs to happen.

 

 

Did the season ticket numbers have an affect:

It's difficult to predict the season ticket renewals, but you do want to consider all facets of ticket sales. Where they are, where they are going and where they could go.  You do modeling in terms of how things could be if you are extremely successful, moderately successful, as well as if your not successful.  You always have that kind of contingency plan in you budget and in you finance building. 

 

Dirk Koetter

 

Opening Statement:

First off, I'd like to say that it's been an honor and a privilege to be the Head Coach at Arizona State for the last six seasons. I have so many people to thank; I'm going to run through a few of them if you don't mind. I'd like to start of with Gene Smith and Lattie Coor for bringing me here in the first place and I really appreciate both of those two men for the insight and the vision and the confidence that they put in me. I'd also like to thank Lisa Love and Michael Crow for allowing me to continue. You know, when you have a change in presidents and ADs and you're the head football coach, you're always a little bit nervous. But they were great to work for; I really do appreciate them. I want to thank all my assistant coaches that have been with me through the years. Many of them have gone on to do bigger and better things. But my current staff especially, these guys have been awesome, I appreciate their loyalty and their dedication and I appreciate their talent. This is a very talented coaching staff that we have right now. I want to thank all the current and former players over the last six years. I got to meet some great former Sun Devils that played before my time, I really appreciate them, but especially the players that I got to coach over the last six years. All of the support staff that surrounds Sun Devil football, I'm not sure if everyone realizes how much goes into it but, Tom Kleinlein, director of football operations, Joe Kenn and the strength staff. Joe Kenn is the best strength coach in college football. Jean Boyd and our academic staff. It's been well documented that you guys have done a good job reporting on what we've done academically at Arizona State and I get credit for that. But that credit really deserves to go to Jean Boyd, the guy that's behind it. Former ASU player and I have no problem at all saying that we did what we set out to do academically here. I want to thank our administrative assistants, Laura, Karen, Victoria, for their loyalty, their support. Mark Zimmer and Paul Lopez, our equipment staff, awesome. Dr. Erickson, Gary Johnson and our medical department, unbelievable. You folks in the media know that this guy to my right, Mark Brand, is a coaches best friend because I've been told that I'm not media friendly and you should see me when Mark doesn't coach me. Mark coaches me so much and I've had to dog cuss him a few times at the stuff he's told me but that guy right there is a professional at his job. All the other coaches at Arizona State, one thing that both Gene Smith and Lisa Love have emphasized is that football at Arizona State is important and the other coaches of the other sports have treated me so awesome. The support group inside the ICA building has treated me great. To the many, many, many, loyal Sun Devil fans that support the Sun Devils through thick and thin, I appreciate you. I really appreciate what you did. I don't know what the future's going to hold for me right now, but I do definitely know that I'm better off as a person for my experience being the head football coach at Arizona State. When I set out to be a head coach, I had two jobs in mind and I've been blessed I got both of them. As a guy from a small town in Idaho, I wanted to coach at Boise State and I got that job and for some reason I had my sights set on being the head coach at Arizona State and I had that. And how ironic is it the day I'm getting fired Boise State's going to the BCS. Pretty crazy how that all works out. My top priorities right now are to help my assistants find what they want and their future and to spend time with my family because I've certainly neglected them over the last six years and to be available to help our players in any why I possibly can help them. As I said before, it's been my pleasure and my privilege to be the head football coach at Arizona State.

 

 

Do you know when you might get the urge to coach again?:

I have the itch to coach again right now. I mean, I just came out of that banquet right there and seeing those players and those parents; I never lost the itch to coach, I was born to coach and I'm sure I'll coach again.

 

What will these next few weeks be like?:

I think it would be foolish if myself and the other coaches didn't finishes out what we started. I think we owe it to the players, if we don't coach the bowl game, who is? I don't know if Lisa's going to coach it but I think we'd be foolish to not coach it. After yesterday and huge win over Arizona I'd love another shot at coaching with this team. This team's laid it on the line for me and I'd be glad to go war with those guys one more time, not go to war, go to a football game with them one more time.

 

What did you tell your players when you met with them earlier today?:

I told them the same thing I just told you guys. It's been a privilege and an honor and I want them to continue on, I want them to finish up their academics and that I've been blessed to be the head football coach at Arizona State and to keep doing things right.

 

Do you have any regrets, anything you'd do differently?:

Everybody has regrets and you learn things along the way. If you weren't growing you wouldn't be moving forward. I'm not going to elaborate on that. I've grown a whole lot as a person these six years.

 

Any thoughts on the decision:

I totally respect Lisa and President Crow, they have a job to do just like I have a job to do and there's been times when I've had to fire players where I'm sure the players didn't agree with what I had to say to them. I said in the banquet today that there comes that awkward moment when everybody has to meet the new coach for the first time, it will come for you folks in the next few weeks, when you meet that new coach just make sure that the first thing you say to him in that awkward moment isn't, "just beat U of A that all you have to do to keep everyone happy" because you know that's not true.