Kyle Smith leaving; 5 Washington State head coach candidates
PULLMAN, Wash. (BVM) 鈥� Following an appearance in the NCAA Tournament鈥檚 Round of 32, the Washington State Cougars men鈥檚 basketball team will be looking for a new head coach. Kyle Smith, who led the Cougars to a 25-10 record this season, accepted the head coach position at Stanford on Monday, leaving a vacancy at Washington State.
A message from Athletic Director Pat Chun on the departure of Kyle Smith.
— Washington State Cougars (@WSUCougars)
Washington State has had a strong string of success under Smith including a 94-71 record, two NIT appearances and this year鈥檚 NCAA Tournament appearance. However, the head coach won鈥檛 be the easiest hire despite its recent level of success. With the Cougars leaving the disintegrated Pac-12 for the West Coast Conference next year, some coaching candidates may see the move as a step down due to the conference鈥檚 mid-major status.
However, coming off of a strong season and with a blueprint for success laid out by Smith, the Washington State position could still attract some big names. With that in mind, here are five head coach candidates for the Cougars.