A day after the announcement of coach Herb Sendek’s departure from the men’s basketball team after 10 years, some students said they were stunned, and many said they are still uncertain about his decision.
Only a year after watching State basketball, Amanda Benton, a freshman in communication, said she could not believe the news when she heard it.
“I was very shocked to hear about it. I was very upset about it,” Benton said.
“I know a lot of people weren’t very happy with him, but I thought he did a very good job the past couple of years. And as much as people complained about this year, I think we did a good job getting to the NCAA Tournament five years in a row.”
Aside from five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Chris Hathcock, a freshman in aerospace engineering, said the losses to rivals and the collapse near the end of the season were the reasons for Sendek leaving.
“Most of it, you could see the criticism was justified,” Hathcock said. “Yes, we did get a 20-win season, but we got killed by Carolina. And then we just couldn’t pull out games.”
Bart Bradshaw, a senior in agronomy, said he understands both points of view, but that he believes Sendek would always be under appreciated.
“It is a good thing and a bad thing,” Bradshaw said. “I don’t think he would have gotten any respect no matter what — even if we won the national championship.”
He added that if the team was forced to make a change, now is the right time.
“This is a good time for a change because we are losing a lot of our starters,” Bradshaw said. “I don’t blame him for leaving. He wasn’t the most-liked coach.”
Benjamin Rush, a senior in political science, said he was disappointed in the way Sendek was treated throughout his 10 years at State.
“I wish him the best. It is a shame to see him leave our school because of the way fans treated him,” Rush said. “His treatment had a major influence on his decision.”
Although some students said they are upset with the departure of Sendek, some said they view this as an opportunity to find a better coach.
Taylor Kirkland, a sophomore in chemical engineering, said he was excited when he heard about the coach’s decision.
“I am glad to see Herb go. I am hoping we get a coach that brings a better style of offense that will attract better recruits,” Kirkland said. “He did a good job while he was here. Our offense was boring to watch. People want to stand out when they play.”
Some students claimed the style of the offense was the reason they were pleased about Sendek leaving to coach the Sun Devils.
Matthew Holland, a senior in biological sciences, said he thinks Arizona State made a poor decision in hiring Sendek.
“I feel bad for Arizona State — I think this is a bad deal for them,” Holland said. “I don’t like our offensive style.”
Upon hearing of the breaking news, some students claimed they thought the whole event was a joke because the news broke on April Fools’ Day.
“I heard it yesterday and I thought it was an April Fools’ joke,” Casey Richardson, a freshman in agriculture education, said. “That was the only thing I had heard about it, and I didn’t think it was serious. He’s been doing decent. Everyone has their up times, their down times. But it’s time for a change.”
Now that Sendek has committed to coaching the Sun Devils, some students they are looking ahead to who will be the next coach of the Pack
Alysa Spear, a junior in mathematics education, said it would be fun if Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight wanted to coach State.
“It would be pretty interesting to see Bobby Knight come in,” Spear said. “[Texas Tech and NCSU] have red in common — he wouldn’t have to buy new ties — and he is a good coach.”
But Stephanie Huffman, also a junior in mathematics education, said she is excited about the process of the school deciding who will be the next coach.
“I am looking forward to who will replace him and how they will do with the team,” Huffman said.