Stanford hired Washington State’s Kyle Smith as its next men’s head basketball coach, the school announced Monday. Smith just led WSU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008 — and nabbed his first NCAA win by defeating Drake in the first round. Smith replaces Jerod Haase, who was fired after his eighth season and with zero NCAA Tournament appearances.
Smith has been Stanford’s top target for weeks; the Cardinal waited for Washington State’s postseason run to end in order to complete the hire. Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir worked with Smith and his representation all throughout Sunday before agreeing to terms deep into the evening. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander initially reported Smith’s hiring.
Smith owns a 258-193 record across stops at three places that are traditionally extremely hard to win at: Columbia, San Francisco and Wazzu. The 54-year old is a former longtime Saint Mary’s assistant under Randy Bennett who has shown the ability to mold winning teams in difficult terrain as a head coach.
“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. “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.”
Sources told CBS Sports that Washington State’s downgrade to the WCC also played a factor in Smith’s decision, though he considered staying due to the immense support from the community and within Washington State’s university infrastructure. Smith was also seriously considered earlier in this cycle by West Virginia and Vanderbilt.
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Kyle and his family to Stanford,” Muir said. “Kyle has an impressive track record of improving results in the programs he has led, and we heard consistently throughout our search process that he leads with great character and integrity. I look forward to working alongside Kyle and I am excited for Cardinal student-athletes to experience his passionate leadership.”
With Stanford joining the ACC next season amid the Pac-12’s collapse, Smith will be challenged to resurrect a struggling program during a time of transition. The Cardinal last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and face an increasingly challenging path to success in the NIL and transfer portal era. Stanford’s rigorous academic standard can make getting transfers accepted into the university a challenge.
But other former Washington State coaches have gone on to reach major heights. Among them are current Houston coach Kelvin Sampson and current Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who were the last two WSU coaches to lead the Cougars to an NCAA Tournament before Smith’s arrival.
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