Arizona State needs to button it up

Arizona and Arizona State will go into the 2012 season with new head coaches.

Arizona found their guy and Arizona State is still searching for theirs.

Arizona's search was for the most part quiet. The public has been given a play-by-play of Arizona State's and it hasn't been exactly what they want to hear.

On October 10, Arizona dismissed head football coach Mike Stoops.

Athletic Director Greg Byrne called a press conference an hour before the dismissal became public. At the presser he told anyone watching or listening that it was the last time he would talk about the search until a coach was being named.

"After today, I won't speak any more about our search until we have a new coach," Byrne said on that day. "In today's world of instant information a lot of times there is a lot of information that's inaccurate that gets out there and sometimes it's accurate. I want you to know unless you're hearing from us and you're hearing from me, that will be the only accurate information you can count on."

In the 42 days that passed, we heard a few rumors and possibilities -- even on this site --, but nothing felt concrete and you read no reports of the job being offered.

Chris Petersen? Sure, the interest was there people said, but it quietly went away in a hurry.

There was a New York Times report of a meeting with Urban Meyer but everyone knew that must be a mutual meeting of someone Meyer knew or was being briefed about.

After that, not much.

Maybe the lack of attention had to do with the actual season being played.

Regardless, Arizona State was not that lucky and they are getting destroyed publicly by some for supposedly butchering this hire worse than Jason Garrett handles time management at the end of a game.

There have been different reports of who is conducting the search, people the job has been offered to and who is on the short list (which in my eyes at this point is a long list because the names don't fit on my two hands).

The school has recognized the negative publicity and tackled it Monday in the form of a written statement.

The statement, coming from President Michael Crow, came in the form of an email to media members, alumni and current students.

What I gathered from the release was Crow telling Sun Devil fans you have spoken, and spoke loudly. We hear you and want to let you know we are on the same page as you. This is a time consuming process. Let us do our due diligence and find the best possible coach to lead the football program into the future. Give us time.

They needed to reiterate all of the above because it hasn't been pretty over the past 10 days.

At this point it is going to take a great hire to please Sun Devil Nation. The fans are restless.

This has to be weird coming from a media type, but I think the best thing would be to stay tight-lipped and let information be known when it's needed to be known -- like when a new hire is made.

All these leaks of information, twists, turns, rejections and follow ups with dollar amounts being tossed around is not what fans want to hear.

They want to get their guy and look towards the future while trying to forget the immediate past.

I definitely think a good hire can be made and a good coach will be leading the Sun Devils next season.

It's taking time and it may take more time.

The best thing to do is not let it turn into gossip that's the equivalent of who Johnny is taking to the Winter Ball.

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TY's Outtakes

What I learned this week…

We're going with the dictionary this week.

dipsomania \dip-suh-MEY-nee-uh\, noun:

An irresistible, typically periodic craving for alcoholic drink.

Another word for alcoholism. Now you know.

Tweet of the week…

@Lane_Kiffin: Happy 30th Birthday Britney! @britneyspears

Is your coach wishing the Britney Spears you grew up gawking over a Happy Birthday over social media? I didn't think so.

Suggestion of the week…

The more I get taken into the locker room, the more I like coaches. Why is that? Because that's where they're real. None of the behind a microphone and in front of a backdrop BS we usually have to listen to.

As far as I'm concerned, LSU is the 2011 National Champions. ... Beat Oregon, beat West Virginia, beat defending champ Auburn, beat Alabama in the "Game of the Century" on their field, beat Arkansas and beat Georgia. The worst they end up is losing to the No. 2 team that they already beat. Either play a third time or line up the resumes like we do all year long thanks to the BCS. I'll take LSU's every time.