Michael Crow: NCAA investigators yet to finish interviewing ASU football coaches

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The NCAA investigation into the Arizona State Sun Devils football program has yet to finish interviewing coaches and staffers, ASU president Michael Crow told The Athletic on Tuesday.

The investigation, which began in summer 2021, stems from alleged violations over the course of the 15-month dead period for in-person recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arizona State saw five assistant coaches resign as a result, including both coordinators in former OC Zak Hill and former DC/recruiting coordinator Antonio Pierce.

However, head coach Herm Edwards remains at the helm and has received support from both Crow and vice president of athletics Ray Anderson going into his fifth season in charge.

“I know that we haven’t, out of my office, been very vocal about anything because we’re asked not to say anything by the NCAA,” Crow said. “And the NCAA is moving in deliberate fashion. I don’t believe they’ve even interviewed our remaining coaches yet.”

In place of the departed coordinators is new DC Donnie Henderson — who served as the team’s defensive backs coach last year — and Glenn Thomas, who is ASU’s quarterbacks coach and OC.

The Sun Devils also brought in former NFL head coach Brian Billick to serve as an offensive analyst and advisor to the head coach, which gives the team a total of three former NFL head coaches with Marvin Lewis being a special assistant to the head coach.

From a player standpoint, a mass exodus in the transfer portal followed the allegations and has seen an astounding 43 new players suit up for the ASU football team heading into the 2022 season.

“If we had been doing this investigation, we would’ve moved with the greatest speed imaginable to get a sense of what’s going on,” Crow said. “It’s a process. You know the process. It’s unfortunate, and we are doing our best to work our way through it and to work it out.”

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