TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State softball coach Clint Myers, who led the Sun Devils to Women's College World Series championships in 2008 and 2011, has left the program to accepted the same position at Auburn, ASU confirmed Friday morning.
"This was a family decision," Myers said in a statement "My sons (Casey and Corey) will be coaching with me at this new position. I am thrilled that in the final years of my coaching career that I will be able to mentor and help my sons to start their own college coaching careers."
In a conference call with reporters, Myers said Corey will be his top assistant at Auburn, while Casey will serve as a volunteer assistant.
Myers took ASU to the WCWS seven times in his eight seasons, going 427-102 during his stint in Tempe. He had a 53-15 postseason record, including 30-3 at home.
"Clint has elevated our program to be one of the best, if not the best, in the nation, the past eight years," ASU vice president for athletics Steve Patterson said. "Because of his efforts, the Sun Devil head coaching position also is one of the best in the nation, and we will proceed to hire a great fit for Arizona State that continues the Sun Devil tradition at the highest level."
ASU will conduct a national search to replace Myers, though associate head coach Chuck D'Arcy could be an internal candidate.
Myers said he accepted the Auburn position Friday after flying to Alabama last weekend for an interview. He takes over for Tina Deese, who was fired by Auburn in May after 17 seasons. Deese was the only head coach in the history of Auburn's program, and she took the team to the NCAA regionals in eight of the past 10 seasons.
"We could not have found a coach who better fits that criteria than Clint Myers, who has consistently reached the pinnacle of success in college softball," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a statement. "Anytime you can hire a coach who has won two National Championships and been to the Women's College World Series seven out of eight years, it's obviously a huge win for your program."
Beyond the chance to have his family all in once place, Myers said, the challenge of winning in the Southeastern Conference appealed to him. There he'll be up against conference and in-state rival Alabama, the 2012 WCWS champion.
"I just hope to make (Alabama coach) Pat Murphy's life miserable," Myers joked. "He has the predominant program in the state after winning the national title."
Myers, whose ASU tenure will officially end June 21, said he is in "the twilight of my coaching career" but couldn't say firmly how much longer he planned to coach.
"That really depends on two things: One is God and the other one is my wife," Myers said. "I'm looking at 2020 as the goal. If the health stays good and my wife says she's enjoying herself and everything else, who knows."
Myers, after 19 years coaching baseball and softball at Central Arizona College, was former ASU athletic director Lisa Love's first hire in June 2005. His replacement will be Patterson's first official hire as athletic director, though Patterson had a hand in hiring ASU football coach Todd Graham.
Myers was twice named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and coached four conference players of the year and 19 All-Americans (13 first-teamers) during his ASU tenure.
His predecessor will inherit a team that should be able to contend for another national championship next year. The Sun Devils return eight of nine regulars in their starting lineup and pitchers Dallas Escobedo and Mackenzie Popescue. Three of the returnees -- catcher Amber Freeman, shortstop Cheyenne Coyle and Escobedo -- earned All-America distinction in 2013.
