ASU Basketball: AD Ray Anderson says new coach will help program 'compete consistently for championships'

Ray Anderson knows what he wants in a head coach.

The vice president of athletics at ASU's first two coaching hires, wrestling's Zeke Jones and baseball's Tracy Smith, have been slam dunks, and he hopes to do the same when comes to replacing men's basketball's Herb Sendek, who was relieved of his duties Tuesday.

"We're not settling for folks who want to come in here and just think there's no way up," Anderson said. "The person who comes in here will buy into the mission, that this is a rocket ship and they can be part of it."

Anderson met with the media Tuesday to discuss Sendek's dismissal. He said the plan was to better the program and become an elite one, and did not feel that Sendek was the man for the job.

"We're going to give this basketball program a chance to compete consistently for championships," Anderson said. "We want to have our fanbase energized and passionate and fired up about men's basketball, and we didn't see that.

"So now is the time with the momentum we have with this University and this athletic department to make this happen."

Anderson said the school does not have a shortlist of candidates, and said he and his staff will be forming a list "in short order." He said it will be national search and compared it to the process the program underwent before hiring Tracy Smith as the baseball coach.

Anderson dispelled the rumor that ASU has offered the position to Duke assistant Jeff Capel.

"I'm looking for someone who is going to come in here and provide electricity and fire and sparks and really ignite the thought that Arizona State University men's basketball can be really dynamic," Anderson said. "I'm looking for someone who is dynamic recruiter. I'm looking for someone who is a dynamic developer of basketball talent."

Anderson said that he did not take single games into account. He said the loss to USC in the Pac-12 tournament was not a determining factor, just as the victory over Arizona in February did not earn him a longer tenure.

"When you take everything in total, I just didn't see the performance and the progress that would give me confidence that we were going to get better soon enough," Anderson said.

He also mentioned that the basketball's facilities need upgrading. He called them "first-grade" facilities and that a new coach will be the beneficiary of those changes in the future.

On the players' end, Anderson said he has already reached out to all the current players, and urged any players who de-committed to be patient and reconsider.