Since being appointed the head coach for Arizona State's football team there has been a whole range of reactions and emotions around his hiring. Many people, including me, were excited to what the coach had in store to offer the football team, in hopes that Arizona State would become a Pac-12 powerhouse like it once was when Tillman still played. A good number of people had criticism and weren't expecting a lot from Coach Edwards.

I do agree that we all should not get our hopes extremely high, considering it's Coach Edwards first time as a head coach for a college team. Although, from listening to what Edwards has said in several press conferences and features on sporting networks, the goal is clear: Win the Pac-12 Championship, which the team hasn't done since 1996 (except if you count the tie with USC in 2007).

Winning the Pac-12 Championship is a lofty goal for a first-year college head coach. Especially, when you're in the same conference as Washington, USC, and Stanford who have been dominant in the Pac-12 for years. In my opinion, Coach Edwards doesn't have too big of shoes to fill with ASU's football record last year overall being 7-6. It's clear to me that Edwards has what it takes to take the football program to a higher level than it's already been at.

ASU arguably has one of the hardest preseasons in the Pac-12 currently. Going up against Michigan State in the second week of the preseason will be a huge test for Coach Edwards and his new team taking on a Big-10 powerhouse. As well as facing San Diego State, will be another big test as the Sun Devils fell to the Aztecs the year before.

Coach Kevin Mawae, the offensive analyst for Arizona State, explained in an interview on SC Featured, that "guys believe in him, I think he connects well with the players in the locker room, and he's just a likable person, he's got enthusiasm, and energy. He's the same guy today that he was 15 years ago..." (SC Featured | ESPN).

Coach Edwards concluded his interview by saying this: "No matter what happens, they gotta leave this room with hope. Hope is a wonderful thing. When they have hope it provides energy, it provides a future, it provides dreams, it provides everything you want. You gotta give them hope. That's what we do around here" (SC Featured | ESPN).

As long as Coach Edwards provides the image of hope and belief in the young players of the ASU football program, then there is nothing they can't accomplish. Coach Edwards provides a motivational role model that the team needs to succeed. Not only will his experience and knowledge of the game be beneficial to coaching at the collegiate level, but by being a mentor to young players and instilling values in his team, then they will rise to the caliber of team that they desire to be and accomplish their desired goals.