The coaching carousel in college basketball is spinning rapidly, and one interesting opening is the Washington State job. Kyle Smith left for Stanford, and now the Cougars are searching for a head coach despite them making the NCAA Tournament and making it to the Round of 32.
Andy Patton of College Sports Wire laid out some candidates for the Washington State opening and discussed ex-Stanford coach Jared Haase in a unique swap of coaches:
A trade of head coaches between Stanford and Washington State could become a reality if the Cougars decide to pursue Haase, who was fired after eight seasons at Stanford which resulted in zero NCAA Tournament appearances.
Haase had far more success at UAB when they were in Conference USA, going to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, and perhaps a move to the WCC where Washington State will be housed the next two seasons will help him find some of that success.
The 49-year-old brought high level talent to Palo Alto, and if he can recruit well and compete with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in the WCC he will be right back on his feet while helping this program through a tough transitional period.
Haase was let go by Stanford at the end of the season and Washington State’s Kyle Smith quickly made the transition in a bit of a surprising move. However, Stanford is joining the ACC in 2024, so that could have been a big reason why.
Other options from Patton include Leon Rice, Joe Pasternack, David Riley, and Chris Victor.