ASU’s bigwigs mum on search

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Arkansas State Athletic Director Terry Mohajir took a break from leading ASU’s nearly annual football coaching search Monday to greet a few hundred supporters during an afternoon pep rally on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol.

Mohajir, along with ASU system president Charles Welch, Gov. Mike Beebe and interim Coach John Thompson refrained from coachspeak, focusing on firing up support for ASU’s matchup with Ball State in next month’s GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Mohajir’s appearance came five days after this season’s Coach, Bryan Harsin, left to become coach at Boise State, and on the heels of weekend conversations with potential candidates.

This is the fourth consecutive season ASU has had to find a new football coach, a run that started with Steve Roberts’ dismissal after the 2010 season, followed by the one-and-done stays of Hugh Freeze to Ole Miss (2011), Gus Malzahn to Auburn (2012) and Harsin to Boise (2013).

“Yeah, we did fly in from another location, but it was a priority to be here,” Mohajir said.

Mohajir declined to say where he had flown in from and offered few specifics on the coaching search.

“We are going to find the right candidate who fits our profile,” Mohajir said after the rally.

“The right coach to fit our program that I believe can take this program to continued success.”

Footballscoop.com, a web site specializing in coaching news, reported Monday that Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery and Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell have were in contact with ASU about its opening this past weekend.

Morris, who at $1.3 million per year is the highest-paid assistant coach in the country according to a USA Today database, refuted the report after Monday’s practice.

“No, I haven’t interviewed with Arkansas State,” Morris told reporters.

The only confirmed candidate is Thompson, who has spent the past two seasons as ASU’s defensive coordinator and served as the interim coach for last year’s GoDaddy Bowl victory over Kent State.

Mohajir said Monday that he has interviewed Thompson and that “he’s still in consideration.”

Thompson did not comment on the interview, instead talking about Ball State and record-setting quarterback Keith Wenning and the first two bowl practices he conducted over the weekend.

“I think the players knew what to expect a little more from last year,” said Thompson, who took over when Malzahn bolted to Auburn last December.

Mohajir said he was committed to keeping details of the search within the threeman search committee, consisting of him, Welch and ASU Chancellor Tim Hudson.

Mohajir said the committee will use 15 criteria to evaluate candidates, including head-coaching experience, positions coached and regions recruited.

“Not everyone is going to fit every one of them,” Mohajir said.

“But you take the one that is going to fit the most.”

Former ASU coach and Athletic Director Larry Lacewell said Monday that Mohajir requested to speak with him last Thursday night at the outset of the search.

Lacewell said he didn’t give any recommendations on who to hire, and Mohajir didn’t provide him a list of candidates. But Lacewell said he urged to Mohajir the need for stability as ASU heads into a season with its fifth head coach in five seasons.

“This program desperately needs a committed guy that’s going to be here. This has been the all-time honeymoon in the coaching profession,” said Lacewell, who recruited Mohajir as a free safety to ASU in the early 1990s. “We don’t always have to hire Auburn’s assistant. That was my advice.”Arkansas State (7-5, 5-2 SBC) DATE OPPONENT (TV) TIME/RES. Aug. 31 Ark.-Pine Bluff W, 62-11 Sept. 7 at Auburn L, 38-9 Sept. 12 Troy W, 41-34 Sept. 21 at Memphis L, 31-7 Sept. 28 at Missouri L, 41-19 Oct. 12 Idaho W, 48-24 Oct. 22 La.-Laf. (ESPN2) L, 23-7 Nov. 2 at S. Alabama W, 17-16 Nov. 9 at La.-Monroe W, 42-14 Nov. 16 Texas State W, 38-21 Nov. 23 Georgia State W, 35-33 Nov. 30 at W. Kentucky L, 34-31 Jan. 5 vs. Ball State# 8 p.m. Sun Belt game # GoDaddy Bowl

Sports, Pages 17 on 12/17/2013