After months of speculation, the verdict is in: ASU men's basketball coach Rob Evans will not return next season.
The decision came after an hour-long meeting between Evans and ASU Athletic Director Lisa Love on March 10, just two days after the Sun Devils were bounced from the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament.
"I fully appreciate the efforts Rob and his staff gave in his eight years here," Love said. "He accomplished many goals and will always be remembered as a great Sun Devil. His work ethic and professionalism will never be forgotten and always will be appreciated by the Sun Devil family."
Both admired and respected by his players, Evans, 59, compiled a 119-120 record in eight seasons at ASU. He led the Sun Devils to three National Invitation Tournament appearances and an NCAA Tournament invite in 2003.
Evans left his post at Mississippi in 1998 after back-to-back SEC titles and NCAA Tournament berths to rebuild a troubled ASU program mired in a point-shaving scandal. He succeeded in keeping off-court problems to a minimum.
One knock against him during his tenure at ASU was his inability to defeat UA. The Sun Devils were 1-16 against the Wildcats with Evans at the helm.
But Love said it was not an easy decision to make.
"I think that I have a pulse, and if I didn't this wouldn't be difficult, but I do," she said. "I recognize the caliber of person that I just met with this morning, and I believe that there is a reason that there is a plaque on the wall with his name on it. It speaks to what Rob and Carolyn Evans are about, in teaching life."
Evans' dismissal did not come as a surprise. Not even to Evans, Love said. He was often confronted with speculation about his future during his final season that saw his team struggle to an
11-17 record and an eighth place finish in the Pac-10.
"He indicated that with all the hubbub and discussion about this and everything that had been reported in the media recently, that he was not totally surprised," Love said. "But he's a competitor and I think that it's safe to say that he was disappointed and understandably so."
Evans still has one year remaining on his contract, and the University will honor the contractual obligations to Evans and his staff. Assistants Tony Benford, Brooks Thompson and Dan O'Dowd were let go as well.
Love said the search for a new coach is already underway, and leading candidates are believed to include former ASU star and current Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Lionel Hollins, Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon and Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon.
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
