Pac-12 Football: Ranking ASU’s Shaun Aguano Among Interim Coaches
Since the Pac-12 expanded to 12 teams in 2012, there have been 14 interim head football coaches in the conference.
Shaun Aguano of Arizona State became the 14th person to hold the title, stepping in for Herm Edwards in September following his dismissal.
During Aguano’s time as head coach at Chandler High School, he led the Sun Devils to a 2-6 record, marking a tumultuous journey.
Aguano is the first interim coach at ASU since Bob Owens took over for Frank Kush in the middle of the 1979 season, making his position in Tempe unique.
The Arizona sportsbooks have faced challenges this year with the Sun Devils due to the turmoil.
Aguano and the Sun Devils are considered the underdogs with odds of +165 on BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona for Friday’s Territorial Cup game, scheduled to start at 1 p.m. in Tucson.
yengols.com conducted an analysis of the 14 interim head coaches who have led teams in the Pac-12 era leading up to the Sun Devils’ final game of the season against Arizona.
Interim coaches in the Pac-12 from 2012 to present
ASU
- In 2022, Shaun Aguano took over as head coach after Herm Edwards.
- Record: 2-6
Colorado
- Mike Sanford became the head coach in 2022, taking over from Karl Dorrell.
- Kurt Roper replaced Mike MacIntyre in 2018.
- Record: 1-5
Oregon
- Bryan McClendon assumed the role of head coach in 2021 following Mario Cristobal’s departure to Miami.
- Mario Cristobal assumed the role of head coach in 2017 following Willie Taggart’s departure to FSU.
- Record: 0-2
Oregon State
- Cory Hall assumed the role previously held by Gary Andersen in 2017.
- Record: 0-6
USC
- Donte Williams succeeded Clay Helton as head coach in 2021.
- Clay Helton became head coach in 2015, succeeding Steve Sarkisian.
- In 2013, Ed Orgeron replaced Lane Kiffin as head coach, but subsequently resigned, resulting in Clay Helton assuming the position after Orgeron.
- Record: 15-13
UCLA
- Jedd Fisch replaced Jim Mora Jr. in 2017.
- Record: 1-1
Washington
- Bob Gregory became the head coach in 2021, taking over for Jimmy Lake.
- After Steve Sarkisian left for USC in 2013, Marques Tuiasosopo assumed the role of head coach.
- Record: 1-3
Washington State
- Jake Dickert replaced Nick Rolovich in 2021.
- Record: 3-3
Arizona, Cal, Utah, and Stanford have not had interim coaches during this time and have a combined total record of 23-39.
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What is Aguano’s Ranking Among Pac-12 Interim Coaches?
Aguano joins the increasing list of Pac-12 interim head football coaches who have been brought on midseason in recent years, with Colorado’s Mike Sanford also taking on the role this year.
Sanford became the CU coach after Karl Dorrell was dismissed in October, having accumulated a record of 8-15 in Boulder (6-9 against Pac-12 teams).
Ed Orgeron, the former USC interim coach, had the most success among interim coaches in the current Pac-12 when he led the Trojans to a 6-2 record after Lane Kiffin was dismissed midseason in 2013.
After Steve Sarkisian was dismissed in 2015, Clay Helton, yet another interim coach, guided the Trojans to a 5-4 record, bringing immediate success to the team.
USC has had the most interim head coaches (four) since 2012, and achieved the best overall success record (15-13) under their guidance.
Over the past ten years, a handful of programs, such as CU (Sanford and Kurt Roper in 2018), Oregon (Bryan McClendon in 2021 and Mario Cristobal in 2017), and Washington (Bob Gregory in 2021 and Marques Tuiasosopo in 2013), have experienced the presence of multiple interim coaches.
From 2012 to 2022, UCLA, Oregon State, and Washington State all had one interim coach each. Jedd Fisch served as UCLA’s interim coach in 2017, achieving a 1-1 record. Cory Hall was Oregon State’s interim coach in 2017, with a record of 0-6. Jake Dickert served as Washington State’s interim coach in 2021 and achieved a 3-3 record.
It is unlikely that Aguano will be able to secure the full-time position at ASU, as only Helton, Dickert, and Cristobal have been successful in doing so after serving in interim roles.
Helton had the lengthiest term as an interim coach among the three coaches, with a record of 51-29 and guiding the team to the 2016 Rose Bowl in his eight seasons in L.A.
Cristobal had the highest winning percentage of the three, with a record of 35-13 (.729) in five seasons in Eugene. Despite his success, he left for his alma mater, Miami, enticed by the appeal of warmer weather.
Jake Dickert, who initially served as the third interim coach before being named the permanent head coach, has experienced significant success this season at Pullman. With his guidance, the Cougars have achieved a 7-4 record, improving his overall record at Washington State to 10-7.
Aguano will make history as the first interim coach for either team in the rivalry since Tim Kish’s Wildcats defeated the Sun Devils 31-27 in Tempe in 2011 when he steps onto the Arizona Stadium field on Friday afternoon.
Even though beating the Wildcats won’t guarantee a bowl berth for Aguano and the Sun Devils, it will give him a chance to finish his time with the team on a high note.
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Author
Peterson Christopher, who has over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona with roles at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News, now heads the writing team at yengols.com.
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