(Photos: Jack Harris/WCSN)
Arizona State’s coaching staff was dealt another shuffle on Friday, as it was confirmed that offensive coordinator Billy Napier is leaving the school to become the new head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Hours later, the school confirmed reports that receivers coach Rob Likens was promoted to fill the coordinator vacancy in a move that maintains some level of continuity within ASU’s offense. Likens will also become the Sun Devils’ quarterbacks coach, a position previously held by Napier.
New ASU head coach Herm Edwards commented on the rapid hire via a university released statement.
“There was no doubt in my mind that Rob Likens was the man we needed to step up and fill this role as offensive coordinator,” Edwards said. “Coach Likens provides much needed consistency and stability as we continue to build our staff. He has been heavily involved in the offensive game planning and play-calling and the improvement on offense this season with Coach Likens as Co-Offensive Coordinator speaks for itself. I have quickly learned that Rob cares deeply for these young men. I am excited to work with Rob as we continue to build upon this program.”
On Friday morning, Napier accepted the job in Louisiana and informed his team prior to its 10 a.m. practice. Napier was not present during the practice, allowing Likens to act as the de facto offensive coordinator for the day. It took him just hours to make that title permanent.
“I had opportunities to take an offensive coordinator job at other places and I was looking very hard into that until I got that phone call from Herm Edwards the night before Billy took the (Louisiana-Lafayette) job,” Likens said during a Saturday afternoon press conference.
In a separate university-released statement issued Friday morning, Edwards addressed the loss of the Napier, who will not coach in ASU’s Sun Bowl appearance on Dec. 29 according to DevilsDigest.com.
Running backs coach John Simon will remain on staff at ASU. The future status of offensive line coach Rob Sale is unknown.
LIKENS OPENS UP ABOUT NEW JOB
Likens said he was days away from taking an offensive coordinating job at a different school, but everything changed when he saw the impending change ASU was facing.
“One of the reasons I took the job, obviously it was a great opportunity, but if you could have seen the kids’ faces in the morning the other day…,” he tailed off while talking to reporters. “Man we love these kids. I know we get paid good money and all of that stuff but…I didn’t get in this business to make money, man. In my first full-time job I was making $40,000 a year and I thought I was the richest man in the world.
“I got in this business because my high school football coach changed my life and I would not be standing here talking to you if it wasn’t for him. I got in this business for kids, to love them, be an agent of change. That was one of the biggest things that factored in was all those kids were coming back and I just can’t even imagine them having a-whole-nother offensive staff coming in, changing everything. I couldn’t imagine that.”
Now at helm of a promising attack at ASU, Likens said he doesn’t want to change much. Though he has an air raid offense background from his time at Cal, he is planning on keeping the status quo next year.
“Over the years I’ve learned concepts [of the air raid offense] that I would take from an offense and maybe want to put in, but it’s not going to be the air raid,” he said.
“You’ll see a stamp of what I want to do on it. That wouldn’t be what we are trying to do here if I came in and changed the offense and started doing something different. They might as well gone out and got another guy.”
That fits what his new head coach will want as well.
“(Edwards) expressed to me that he wants to able to run the football,” Likens said. “I think all good defensive coaches, they’ll all say the same thing.”
Likens also doesn’t want to rush the process of filling out the rest of ASU’s offensive staff.
“One of the things I’ve learned in my 27 years is that you don’t just start hiring dudes. That’s how you make mistakes,” he said. “You got to be slow to hire and it’s got to be a great fit. That’s the big thing.”
LIKENS GETS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FROM PLAYERS
During ASU football’s media availability on Friday, Sun Devil players supported the then-potential hiring of Likens. Their wishes came true before sunset on Friday night.
“I would love it,” quarterback Manny Wilkins said when asked how he would feel if Likens were promoted. “He is somebody who brings a different level of passion to this game. He is somebody who comes with intensity every day in practice, every day in the film room.”
Likens’ receivers also fully backed him for the job.
“He is honestly the most hard working man I’ve ever met,” Harry said. “I’ve never met somebody that can come in here and, regardless of what his emotions are or what he is feeling, he shows us the same energy every day. He sacrifices a lot for us. He sacrifices seeing his family; there was a couple times throughout the season where I don’t think he even got to see his kid awake throughout the whole week.
“To see how hard he works and everything he’s put into this program already in this year, I think he deserves that [job].”
Likens has been an offensive coordinator twice before in his career, most recently between 2015-16 at Kansas. Prior to his tenure in Lawrence, Likens was the receivers coach under Sonny Dykes at Cal, a place where he cultivated one of the most talented receiving corps in the country by coaching 5 eventual NFL wide outs.
“It would be great,” Newsome said. “I think a lot of the guys like Coach Likens’ energy. What he brings to the team is what nobody brought. He’s a special guy.”
Once the news was official, Likens said he received plenty of congratulations from his players.
“They were excited,” he said. “I got a lot of hugs and handshakes and a ton text messages last night. It was really nice.”
PLAYERS STICKING TOGETHER THROUGH CHANGES
Despite getting an internal promotion at ASU and claiming a week ago he would stay in Tempe for another year, Napier’s exodus means the Sun Devils will have their fourth offensive coordinator in four seasons next fall.
Redshirt junior quarterback Manny Wilkins said last week that Napier’s supposed return was the best news he had heard in his four years at the school. Though his new offensive coordinator and position coach, Likens, is being promoted from within the program, Wilkins is again being forced to readjust to a new coaching hierarchy.
“It is what it is,” he told reporters. “The sun is still going to come up…It has its challenges, but you got to roll with the punches. Sometimes you are going to get hit, it’s going to knock you down, but you got to get back up. I look at this as another challenge.”
Wilkins wasn’t bitter about Napier’s decision to take the head coaching job in Louisiana either.
“Very proud of him. This is an opportunity he’s been waiting for,” Wilkins said. “I had a nice long talk with him this morning. It was emotional, but at the end of the day, things happen in life for a reason.”
Those sentiments were echoed by the gunslinger’s top receiving target, N’Keal Harry.
“We’ll be fine regardless of whatever happens,” Harry said. “Players play, coaches coach. So we’ll be alright.”
Freshman running back Eno Benjamin was recruited to ASU by now fired coach Todd Graham, departing coordinator Napier and Simon. Before his first season in college is up, he’s already learning the harsh truth about the business of college football.
“It’s what comes with the game,” he said on Friday. “Same decision (ASU’s 2016 offensive coordinator) coach Lindsay made, same decision he made. Can’t be mad at him.”
While Benjamin is experiencing his first collegiate coaching change, redshirt sophomore receiver Ryan Newsome is preparing to play for his sixth-ever offensive coordinator. Newsome, who began his career at Texas, said he was numb to this latest change.
“It’s been a long transition for everybody, the whole year,” Newsome said. “I know these past two years have been a rollercoaster. You just try to adjust and take it in stride for what it is.”
Simon meanwhile acknowledged the struggles his players have gone through with the recent instability within the program, but also is confident his players can adjust. He pointed out that almost every Sun Devil has a picture of a person they care about in their locker, someone who makes them want to play the game.
“That isn’t a picture of John Simon or Billy Napier up there,” the running backs coach said.
