Arizona Football rival ASU presents their new NFL Model and head coach Herm Edwards

ASU presented Herm Edwards as their new Football Head Coach, and it was a very powerful press conference.

ASU presented Herm Edwards as their new head football coach. They outdid UCLA with Chip Kelly. If you didn’t think that was possible, it is, and it wasn’t the presentation and the food, it was the coach himself. The public Pac-12 press conference introducing Edwards took place this morning.

Herm Edwards personality is tremendous. You cannot deny his ability to excite and entertain as well as he is convincing, “This is a special place.” His broadcasting talent will help him so much in his new position dealing with the media, parents, coaches, and the players. As a Wildcats fan, you want to plug your nose for this entire experience, just because, but it’s hard if you love football. Edwards is like a preacher who preaches the love of the game of football.

Edwards relationship with ASU AD Ray Anderson are life friends, and that was a big part of why Edwards chose ASU.

This move by ASU may change the way all college football programs operate. The school wants to use an NFL model where the Head Coach is more of a manager, and delegates to his assistant coaches more so he can concentrate on recruiting more. He will be a great recruiter unfortunately for Arizona.

This puts some serious heat on the Arizona Football program. Is this something that Arizona should be looking at doing? Rodriguez has already changed how the Director of Player Development position operates. He divided responsibilities from Matt Dudek when he left to Chuck Cecil and Chris Singletary and others.

Arizona Wildcats Football

My takeaway is that Edwards feels that he will attract the best athletes and that it will be easier to coach. He coaches the Under Armor game, so he already has relationships with top high school recruits.

Edwards spoke like a preacher. He preached about how great ASU will be where he can nurture players. He was speaking directly to the players that he wants to come to ASU. He is recruiting from the pulpit.  “Football ignites my soul, it’s what makes me go, it’s what I do, I’ve done this my whole life,” said a very emotional Edwards quoting Pat Tillman.

Edwards talked about Dick Vermeil. He said that Vermeil was like his second father and he left coaching and went back to coaching after 13 years after being on television and didn’t forget how to coach. “I can’t play — Although I’ll tell you I have one hit left [laughter]– We want to be relevant — I don’t want to hear about SC, or Stanford, or Oregon, or UCLA, I heard about that my whole life when I grew up. I have a rich history on the west coast playing football.” Edwards played for Cal.

“The thing you miss most — when you don’t play, or you don’t coach, is the huddle. You miss the huddle — where players that are from everywhere: every race, every religion, every color, it don’t matter cause you have a common goal,” Edwards spoke passionately, “You’re trying to be something special as a team.” He said that we don’t huddle anymore in our society and that’s a problem, “When you become a part of a football team, and when you look to the left and when you look to the right, there’s this bond that says I’m not letting that guy down, not today, not ever,” preached Edwards talking about how it is on a football team.

Herm cannot wait for a week from now. He will be hugging recruits, he cannot wait.

ASU President Dr. Michael Crow spoke about why he hired Herman Edwards:

ASU President Dr. Michael Crow talked about Ray Anderson’s duties and explained, “Ray has taken on this task in his three years that he has been with us — by finding tremendous core staff in the athletic department.”

He wants Edwards to manage and be the head coach and draw from expertise within the athletic departments.

“What we are doing here is we are changing into a differentiated model,” said Crow. He’s not happy with the way the traditional methods are working with ASU and other schools or many AS coaching changes. Crow wanted a unique individual, “I have found him to be an outstanding individual, an outstanding leader — capable of leading our program and also advancing us in our new model — we are committed to driving to higher and higher level of excellence.”

Crow wants to move forward and wants to make it possible for ASU to be champions. He believes that ASU’s competitiveness is fundamental. He doesn’t want to try the same old thing for ASU to be successful. “I am excited about the coaching hires that Ray has been making,” explained Crow. He thanked Ray for his drive and talent to make this happen.

ASU AD Ray Anderson had his comments on why he hired Herm Edwards:

“Competitive consistency is required to elevate this football program to the place we want to be,” said Ray Anderson as he took the mic. Anderson gave a lot of kudos to Todd Graham for solid competitive consistency in solid academics, role modeling, discipline and behavior/conduct. “Competitive consistency in the performance  and outcome on game day frankly have not met our expectations — I have to be honest to make the assessment and make the hard decision.”

Ray Anderson said, “ASU is nobody’s rebuild, nobody’s startup — in recruiting really great student-athletes, four and five start student-athletes were talent is, we haven’t done that well.” Developing and coaching players so that they can go to the “highest level” so the players can be prepared to play in the NFL. He wants to keep coaches at ASU. Gameday preparation will be so good, that they want to be the team that “Nobody wants to play.”

“This train in football is leaving the station, and for any doubters for any reason can’t get on board right now, we understand, we aren’t going to take it personal,” said Anderson. “Jump on board because we got a seat for ya .” This was for all the ASU fans complaining about Edwards being hired. Anderson ended with, “I am proud to introduce the conductor of this train, Herm Edwards.”

How will Herm Edwards work at ASU?

Phil de Picciotto (Octagon Agency – Herms agent], a recognized agent in all sports according to Anderson said, “I’ve been asked by Ray to share with you why Herm Edwards has chosen to accept ASUs offer to become it’s next Football heads coach.” He told the media his passion is helping young people excel in their potential, that he is an educator and it comes to him naturally. He teaches through the TV screen, on the field, and in the office. He chose to make a difference in the world to help others because he is a unifier and a team builder.

Herm found all of these elements “In special alignment” at ASU, according to de Picciotto.

“It’s the people who are the real keys to his real desire to work here,” said de Picciotto. He said that Herm is always referred to as ‘coach,’ and he never intended to leave ESPN where he is beloved. He told the media Herm wants to help students that he can make the right kind of difference, “Herm Edwards just fits here, and I have no doubt that he will put a lot of points on the scoreboard of life for everyone in this community.”

Anderson spoke about the way forward and the new NFL model as well. He feels that the model used in college football doesn’t work, so he wants to implement an NFL model. He promised that we will see much more of the participation of all the assistant coaches, “It is going to be an all-in, all hands on board — to upgrade football the way we have upgraded in some of our other sports,” said Anderson. Herm will not be expected to, “Do it all.”

“Elevated performance is not new to us at ASU,” said Anderson pointing out that Bobby Hurley has been doing a great job in his performance in Basketball. He then listed wrestling, golf, track, ice hockey, swimming and other sports coaches.

Edwards will be meeting with his assistant coaches and staff today. But someone has to tell him that the mascot for his new team is a devil! He obviously doesn’t know:

Herms comments

He pointed out the former players’ in the audience. He named them, and he made it a point to make sure it was about their legacy. This is something which is needed more at Arizona in our opinion. Herms said the purpose of ASU football is to use football to build men. Edwards said the players play for the name on the front of their uniforms.

Edwards shares the vision that Anderson and Crow have, “I’m willing to meet that vision — Guys in California and Los Angeles should be coming here, why is this not the destination? Why can’t it be? That’s my job, that’s my job to go into those homes and tell those parents this is the place you want to send your son because when he leaves here –, he will be fully ready to deal with anything that comes across his way,” announced Edwards.

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Edwards is on the ASU Football train too, “I’m on the train, by the way, I’m on the train, and I’m going to ride it, and I am on this train until it stops, it’s not going to stop!” He continued, “This is about this university, it will never be about me — it’s about the young people that leave here, that’s what this university is all about, it’s about what they will contribute to our society.”

Edwards said he had been offered to coach before, but he is not a person who tells the public, that ASU was the right place for him, he’s going to finish his work week at ESPN. Then he will go on the road and eat a lot while recruiting, “I’ll probably put on 10 pounds.”

Edwards spoke about his age and pointed out some coaches older than him. He has been out of the game, and there have been innovations. So to combat his lack of knowledge in this are, he wants to delegate to his assistant coaches and wants to learn from them as he feels knowledge is essential.

Edwards wants to find out the DNA of the team and focus on defense.

Edwards said former Arizona Wildcat Tedy Bruschi asked him at work if he was going to accept the ASU offer, he understands rivalries.

Here is Herm motivating the Alabama football team, think he won’t be able to motivate young players? This is the church of football and Edwards is the preacher.

Must Read: More on Arizona Football from ZZ....

Edwards will flip a few commits, get ready for that. We may lose Willie Taggart to Florida State University, but now Arizona has to deal with Chip Kelly at UCLA and the magnetic Herm Edwards at ASU with their new NFL style structure. What are your thoughts? Bear Down as usual!