By Jeff Alba for DieHardDevil.com

Put a fork in him, he’s done.  The Dennis Erickson era at Arizona State has come to a painful and unexpected  end.  After guiding the Sun Devils to a 31-30 record over his five years at ASU, and losing his final four games this season to less talented opponents, a change in leadership had to be made.

When Lisa Love brought Erickson to Tempe to take the helm of the ASU football team in December 2006, it seemed like a promising idea and the right move.  After all, here was an exciting coach with a ton of credibility with two national championships, and someone who brought a strong history as a great recruiter.  Some questioned his age at the time of the hire and whether or not he still had the passion for the game.  But one thing that was never in question was his relaxed and laid back approach with his players.  A quality that made his team incredibly loyal, but also consistently undisciplined.  This was the big trade off and roll of the dice with Erickson, a head coach that brought in the talented players who you hoped were good enough to get by without discipline and accountability.  At Arizona State, this would ultimately be the approach that cost him his job.

Diehard Sun Devil fans that are emotionally invested in the football program expect more and are demanding more from the team where they show their loyalty and bleed maroon and gold.  The rumblings among Sun Devil Nation began following the UCLA loss, when Erickson mismanaged the clock at the end of the game and the team seemed unprepared.  The following week, the team once again, especially the defense, played horrible and gave up almost 500 yards passing to a freshman third string quarterback.  Following those two setbacks, ASU came home to get embarrassed by their lowly in state rival.  And finally, on Friday night, the final nail in the coffin was hammered in as the Sun Devils were defeated by Cal on their home turf.  A monumental collapse for the team favored to win the Pac-12 south division in 2011.

Moving forward on a positive note, the cupboard in the Sun Devil kitchen is stocked for the new incoming coach.  Players returning in 2012 include team leader and quarterback Brock Osweiler, and plenty of other talented players on offense including Cameron Marshall, Jamal Miles, Deantre Lewis, some experienced linemen and new playmaker, Rashad Ross.  Also next year, the defense will be anchored by Brandon Magee, Will Sutton, Junior Onyeali, and Corey Adams.  The wild card is whether or not Vontaze Burfict returns (not likely), which may be a blessing or a headache for the incoming coaching staff.

Let the search begin.