Following another early exit from the NCAA tournament, Arizona State’s Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson announced Monday that the university was mutually agreeing to part ways with baseball coach Tracy Smith. In seven seasons in Tempe, Smith never guided the Sun Devils to a Super Regional appearance, reaching the NCAA Tournament in four of the seven years at the helm of the ASU baseball program.

“I did not have the confidence that the program was going to elevate further and would not meet our needs going forward,” said Anderson during a Zoom conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. “It was the body of work over the seven years that ultimately led to the decision.”

During the seven seasons in which he led the Sun Devils, Smith’s ball clubs went 201-155, with an 87-92 record in Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils never finished higher than a tie for third in the conference, doing so in 2015 and 2016.

“The expectations are across the board that we are going to be in the top three of the Pac-12, which puts us in the conversation for the top 15 in the country,” said Anderson, re-affirming his belief in Arizona State’s ability to be one of the nation’s premier programs. “Certainly, with ASU baseball that in our view is a very realistic expectation.”

A promising 2020 season in which ASU started 13-4 was canceled due to COVID-19 before five ASU draft picks – including No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson – purged one of the most talented rosters in Smith’s tenure. In 2021, Smith’s staff faced a myriad of arm injuries to the expected top three pitchers in its rotation, as Cooper Benson, Boyd Vander Kooi, and Erik Tolman each had season-ending Tommy John surgery early on.

“Everybody had bad luck these last couple years with COVID,” Anderson explained of the influence outside circumstances might have had on the decision to let go of Smith. “Those are challenges that folks’ across the country have, and it’s the leader’s job to ultimately figure out the way to fight through all of that adversity and as a coach produce the wins and losses that you need to elevate your program forward.

“I’m of the ‘no excuses, no explanation,’ mindset. Because you can sit around and make excuses and explanations all day long on any given year for why you didn’t accomplish something. So, no excuses and explanations were appropriate here.”

After the 2 seeded Sun Devils were eliminated Sunday afternoon by No. 3 seed Fairfield, Smith cited the year as challenging.

“This will be one of the most memorable seasons for me because it was one of the most challenging,” the now-former Sun Devil skipper told reporters. “While it was challenging, it was also rewarding, even if we didn’t get what we wanted in the end.”

Smith was one of the earliest hires Anderson made at Arizona State, bringing the former Indiana head coach in prior to the 2015 season. At Indiana, Smith helped the Hoosiers make it to Omaha once, playing in the 2013 College World Series. Anderson told reporters he and Smith hoped to revitalize the program, something that has still yet to occur.

“We came in together very confident that together we could advance the program, and very frankly, bring back some of the glory days of old,” said Anderson. The Sun Devils finished 33-22 in 2021, going 16-14 in conference play before a 1-2 appearance in the Austin Regional of the NCAA tournament. “When you come to the realization that it’s not working to the extent or level that you anticipated, it’s obviously disappointing.”

The failure through Smith’s tenure to reach a Super Regional, let alone a College World Series is something Anderson harped on throughout his Monday meeting with reporters.

“We have not moved the needle enough in the things that matter to fans of ASU baseball,” Anderson said, re-affirming his commitment to restoring greatness to ASU’s program. “I think the program is very frankly in the same place (as 2015). Mediocre. That’s one of the reasons we made the change last time, and frankly, one of the reasons we’re making the change this time.”

As Arizona State begins its exploration into finding the next head coach of the program, Anderson explained that the school would be measured in its approach to finding a new leader, citing upgraded facilities and a talented core of returners as attractions to the job. Anderson said the new head coach – whomever that will be – will be afforded the decision to choose who will remain in Tempe with the new staff.

“We think Phoenix Municipal Stadium and our setup over there is the finest in collegiate baseball,” Anderson said. “We think this community is a really good place to recruit from. You put those things together, and they will be big plusses in our search process.”

Anderson was firm in his standing that the athletic department would not overpay for a new head coach.

“Nothing is ever off the table,” Anderson said. “But also be realistic in an understanding that we’re not going to get into a bidding war.”