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Commentary: Esmay should transition from interim to permanent


It seems simple enough.

Should the interim label be stripped from ASU coach Tim Esmay’s title?

However you want to phrase Esmay’s performance this year, honeymoon or one-year wonder, the argument to retain him is so overwhelmingly strong that it would seem to defy the question itself.

Proceeding from one of the most tumultuous offseasons in ASU athletics history, including the ironic firing of Esmay by former coach Pat Murphy, the team broke an all-time program record, going 24-0 to start the season.

They’ve been the best team in college baseball, without debate, from the first game on, receiving 27 of the 31 first place votes in the most recent USA Today/ ESPN coaches’ poll.

If the numbers don’t speak volumes, the players do.

There’s the fact that Esmay was sought out specifically by ASU’s veteran core, who voluntarily contacted Lisa Love and Michael Crow to either persuade or ensure Esmay would be brought on.

Esmay managed a team missing what most thought would be its best player — Josh Spence.  He’s made great use of the young depth, in the rotation and in the field, mixing and matching lineups and late game situations out of the bullpen. He, by all accounts, is a players’ favorite, and his strong connections and personable nature in the dugout have seemingly allowed him to play with lineups without damaging egos.

Sure, he inherited a lot of talent, but it would be hard to argue it hasn’t been maximized.

Being a really nice guy has to count for something.

He is all smiles for the scribes, where postgame press conferences are known to last 20 minutes or more.

But he’s no pushover.

When USC sophomore pitcher Alex Sherrod threw behind Drew Maggi last weekend, Esmay stormed out of the dugout to protect his player — his team.

There’s only one plausible hole in the Esmay argument, but one he deserves a chance to seal.

Recruiting.

At the very least, Esmay deserves a year to show what he can do. According to a recent article in the East Valley Tribune, last year’s local commits said they’d stay with ASU. Esmay was credited for “calming the waters,” working ahead and keeping the commits committed.  According to the article, they were all well aware of the current realities facing the program.  That’s quite a statement.

Even with an NCAA investigation looming, the uncertainty of the future coaching situation and the dismissal of a legend, the ASU baseball still hasn’t lost it’s brand appeal.

Given Esmay’s personality, how could he be anything less than respectable in that regard?

If he hasn’t reached it yet, you have to wonder how high the bar has been set.

Does Esmay have the ability to make it to Omaha?

Perhaps Love is waiting for the results and potential consequences of the NCAA investigation due in August before she decides how to proceed, which is fair, though the silence is a bit disconcerting.

Even if the season takes a turn for the worst, the idea of contracting out another coaching search, which would likely yield a higher-profile and more expensive candidate less familiar with the program, would be a costly one in the public eye.

In turn, ASU higher-ups would be inviting the prospect of wearing Esmay’s shoes and the shaky ground they stand on.


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