After seven seasons at Washington, head coach Mike Hopkins has been fired. Things started well with back-to-back twenty-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament win in his first two years, but have fallen since. Over the past three seasons, the Huskies have finished around .500 each season and have failed to make the NCAA Tournament. After another disappointing campaign in the 2023/24 season, Hopkins was fired on March 8th. Now, fans will wonder, who is Washington’s next head coach?
Hopkins Out at Washington; Who is Next for the Huskies?
Danny Sprinkle
The name that is receiving the most buzz for the job is Danny Sprinkle from Utah State. Sprinkle is a Washington native and played in college at Montana State. He has remained out west for his entire coaching career having numerous assistant positions in the region before getting the head coach position at his alma mater. At Montana State, he made the NCAA Tournament twice, won the Big Sky tournament twice, won the regular season championship once, and was named the conference coach of the year once.
In 2023 Sprinkle was named Utah State’s head coach and the Aggies have had an amazing season. They have been ranked for most of the season and are in a position to win the Moutain West Conference with a win this weekend over New Mexico. Utah State is an incredibly balanced team with the 40th-ranked offense and 48th-ranked defense according to Kenpom. Sprinkle will be heavily sought after by many programs this offseason, but he is currently the favorite to be Washington’s next head coach.
Kyle Smith
Another name rumored to be Washington’s next head coach is Kyle Smith, the current head coach at Washington State. Smith has been a winner at every stop in his career. He won the CIT at Columbia, made the CBI finals at San Francisco, and has had a very good tenure at Washington State. This year the Cougars have a twenty-win season and two wins against Arizona. They are also considered locks to make the NCAA tournament. Much of this is thanks to the Cougar’s strong defense, a staple of Smith’s teams.
One drawback of Smith’s career is that he has never coached in an NCAA Tournament before. In his fifth year in Pullman, he will make his first appearance. While it is hard to make the tournament, it is a bit concerning he has not made one yet with the success he has had. But, the biggest reason Smith might leave is uncertainty at Washington State. The Pac-12 conference is all but dissolved and Washington is headed to the incredibly stable Big Ten. Smith may want to make the move from Pullman to Seattle to secure his future.
Mark Pope
Now this is a name that has received some chatter, but it is considered a bit of a longshot. Pope is from Washington and started his playing career there, so there are certainly ties to the program. But, he has had opportunities to go to other jobs but has opted to stay at BYU. Now that BYU is in the Big 12, it seems even less likely that this will happen. With all of that being said, Washington has deep pockets and the hometown reunion could be a draw for Pope. This could be something to keep an eye on if the Huskies decide to make a splashy hire.
