Sources: Smith leaves Wazzu for Stanford job

Pete Thamel Jeff

Borzello

Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Author

• Basketball recruiting expert.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Mar 25, 2024, 11:06 AM ET Washington State’s Kyle Smith has actually accepted the head-coaching task at Stanford, sources informed ESPN on Monday.Smith, the 2024 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, simply crafted among the best

  seasons in program history, leading the Cougars to their very first NCAA competition look since 2008. The Cougars finished 25-10 total and 14-6 in the Pac-12, just one game behind Arizona.

  After they beat the Wildcats in Tucson on Feb. 22, Washington State was alone atop the Pac-12 standings for the first time given that Dec. 21, 1986. It culminated in a 7-seed on Choice Sunday and a first-round win over Drake on Thursday, the program’s 5th NCAA competition success since 1942. Editor’s Picks 2 Related Washington State’s season ended Saturday with a 67-56 loss to Iowa State.Smith was at Washington State for 5 seasons, finishing above.500 in the Pac-12 in each of his last three seasons.Prior to taking control of the Cougars, Smith spent 3 seasons as

  the coach at San Francisco– winning at least 20 games all 3 seasons– and 6 seasons as the coach at Columbia. While with the Lions

  , he led the program to their first 20-win campaign since 1969-70 and set a program record with 25 wins in 2015-16. They also won the 2016 CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament by beating UC Irvine in the title game.Smith started his coaching career as an assistant at San Diego and was also on personnels at Flying force and Saint Mary’s. At Stanford, he will change Jerod Haase, who was fired previously this month after eight seasons.

  The Cardinal failed to reach the NCAA competition during Haase’s tenure.Smith will lead Stanford into the ACC, with the Cardinal joining the league this summer together with Cal and SMU.