Basketball coach Kyle Smith leaving WSU for Stanford
It certainly felt more feasible when the talks of a contract extension were tabled late in the season. Monday, Washington State saw it become a reality. Kyle Smith is leaving the program he just guided to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
The fifth-year Cougars' coach is taking over for Jerod Haase at Stanford in a move that will allow Smith to join the Cardinal as the team moves into the ACC next season.
“The opportunity to serve as the head men’s basketball coach at Stanford is a dream come true, and I want to thank Bernard Muir for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Smith said in a statement announcing his new position at Stanford. “From my perspective, Stanford has the resources and reputation to attract the ideal student-athlete who is seeking the character development aspects of what our basketball program will offer.
"Stanford has the capacity to provide a place where student-athletes can hone their leadership skills and intellect through hard work and team building. I am thrilled to try to provide that type of culture for an institution that prides itself on excellence in all areas.”
The move from Pullman to Stanford marks a return to the Bay Area for the 54-year old El Paso, Texas native, who was previously the head coach at the University of San Francisco and an assistant at St. Mary's.
Smith finished his final season at WSU with a 25-10 record and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougs knocked off 10th-seeded Drake in the first round before falling to No. 2 seed Iowa State, 67-56, Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska.
WSU finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 as Smith guided one of the best turnarounds in recent program history earning him the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award.
"We started five years ago trying to build this into something, and two NITs and now an NCAA Tournament - an NCAA Tournament win," Smith said after Saturday's NCAA Tournament loss to the Cyclones. "I was unaware, but people said we didn't belong. So we proved that we belonged, to say the least."
In his time on the Palouse, Smith racked up 94 victories as head coach.
"I know some or many may not understand my decision, but I want everyone to know how appreciative me and my family are and will always be," Smith said in a departing statement released through WSU. "We have been loved unconditionally in this community and we will always be grateful. I often talk about how my "why" is to empower people to empower themselves. Washington State empowered me to fulfill my dreams, and it is time for someone else to have this opportunity. Once a Coug, always a Coug!"
The next step for WSU will be finding the coach to lead the program into the next era as several teams prepare to depart the Pac-12 leaving some uncertainty about the future. Athletic director Pat Chun addressed the next steps in a statement Monday.
"We would like to thank Kyle for his contributions to Washington State," Chun wrote. "Kyle has elevated Cougar Basketball to national prominence and for that Cougar Nation is grateful. We wish Kyle, Katie, Rocco, Bo and Luke nothin but the best in their future endeavors. Now we begin a national search to build on the foundation Kyle established and continue the ascension of Washington State Basketball."
