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COVID-19 has put a halt on sports forcing coaches and players to adapt to working from home. For Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards, the process has changed but his work ethic has not. Edwards is still preparing for the upcoming season as he would any other football season. He joined ESPN’s SportsCenter with Matt Barrie to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted spring workouts and the upcoming season:
Message to Players:
Edwards’ past experience in coaching has helped him process this pandemic. Being the New York Jets coach during the events of 9/11, his approach to his players to COVID-19 is generally the same. Stay calm and stay connected with the coaches to stay in the loop. Having the available technology to stay in touch and have conversations whether it is via zoom or just a text away helps keep an eye on his players.
Edwards shared what his inspiring message has been to his players during these unprecedented times:
Recruiting:
How does this all affect recruiting? It doesn’t mean they lose touch with their recruits, it just means they have to be creative. Due to the NCAA suspending all in-person recruiting activity until at least April 15, the Sun Devils have introduced “Sparky Hour” in order to communicate with players and families.
“We have ‘Sparky Hour,’” Edwards responded to Barrie. “Our staff sits in an auditorium and texts out to players and the players call us and we have communication. It’s quite a scene. I’m talking to all of these guys and they get to visit with our coaches … We get to take some time to visit with some of the guys we’re going to recruit.”
Edwards is entering his third year at Arizona State. He has an overall record of 15-11 and 1-1 in bowl games. During the 2019 season, the Sun Devils finished at 8-5 with a win over Florida State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
