ESPN ranks ASU’s Herm Edwards as top-10 player-turned-coach

Not only has Arizona State head football coach Herm Edwards had a great career on the sidelines, but he was an accomplished player as well.

Edwards played two seasons at Cal as a cornerback (1972-74) and then finished his college career at San Diego State.

He entered the NFL undrafted, but the Philadelphia Eagles signed him, where he would spend the majority of his 10-year career. Edwards did not miss a game from 1977-85 and recorded 38 interceptions, one shy of the franchise record. He also earned All-NFC honors in 1980 to help lead the Eagles to Super Bowl XV.

Edwards perhaps is best known for his scoop-and-score play against the New York Giants in the 1978 season. With just seconds left, Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik fumbled the handoff and Edwards returned it for a touchdown to defeat New York 19-17. The play was known in Philadelphia as “Miracle at the Meadowlands” and one Eagles fans will never forget.

Because of his accomplished playing career, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg lists Edwards as the 10th-best former player among all active FBS head coaches.

Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (No. 9) and Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith (No. 8) sit just above Edwards to round out the top-10 while Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh retains the No. 1 spot.

Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch finished last (No. 130) in the rankings because he did not play football in college or high school. Fisch was, however, an All-State player in New Jersey at Hanover Park High School.

He began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant under Steve Spurrier at Florida from 1999-2000. Fisch landed the job after leaving a note on Spurrier’s windshield for 450 consecutive days asking to join the Gators’ staff.

He went on to coach at five different schools before landing in Tucson. His most notable roles include quarterbacks and wide receivers coach under Harbaugh in Ann Arbor from 2015-16 and as interim head coach at UCLA in 2017.

But most of Fisch’s coaching career took place in the NFL. He coached for a total of 10 seasons for seven different teams, including the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.