Bobby Hurley appears to be staying at Arizona State after reports in recent days linked the Sun Devils coach to the St. John’s head coaching gig following Chris Mullin’s decision to step down. Hurley announced in a statement on Thursday night that he is in talks for a long-term contract extension. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander has confirmed that a new five-year deal for Hurley to remain at Arizona State is imminent. Multiple media reports have recenttly identified Hurley as St. John’s top target leading up to Thursday evening.

“I am thankful to President [Michael] Crow and [athletic director] Ray Anderson for entrusting me to lead the basketball program at Arizona State,” Hurley wrote in a statement. “My family and I are proud to be Sun Devils and want to remain at Arizona State for a long time. We are in discussions to extend our agreement and I look forward to continuing to build our program for long-term success.

“I will have no further public comment on my contract status until our agreement is finalized. Thank you, Sun Devil Nation.”

Hurley has ties to the New York area having coached at Buffalo prior to his time at ASU. At Buffalo, where he spent 2013-2015, he twice won the MAC regular season and led the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament in his final season, achieving a 42-20 record. Hurley is 73-58 since he took over at ASU and has led the program to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

With Hurley staying put where he is, Iona coach Tom Cluess is a name that has surfaced as a potential candidate for the Johnnies. Since Cluess took over the MAAC program in 2010, he’s led the Gaels to six NCAA Tournament appearances in nine seasons and posted a 199-108 record.