Kyle Smith Trades Cougars for Cardinal Nest

The coaching carousel in college basketball continues to spin, and this time, it’s Washington State’s Kyle Smith who finds himself changing scenery. After leading the Cougars to one of their best seasons in program history, Smith has accepted the head coaching job at Stanford, sources told ESPN.

Smith’s impressive 2023-24 campaign at the helm of the Washington State program was nothing short of remarkable. The Pac-12 Coach of the Year guided the Cougars to a 25-10 overall record and a 14-6 mark in conference play, just one game behind the mighty Arizona Wildcats. In a season that will be etched in Cougars lore, Washington State secured its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008 and even spent a brief period atop the Pac-12 standings in late February – a feat the program hadn’t accomplished since 1986.

The Cougars’ Cinderella story ultimately concluded with a first-round tournament victory over Drake before a hard-fought loss to Iowa State in the Round of 32. But Smith’s impact on the program was undeniable, as he transformed a team that had languished in mediocrity into a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-12.

Now, the 51-year-old coach will take his talents to The Farm, where he’ll be tasked with reviving a Stanford program that has struggled to find its footing in recent years. The Cardinal failed to reach the NCAA Tournament during Jerod Haase’s eight-year tenure, which ultimately led to his dismissal earlier this month.

For Smith, the move to Stanford represents a new challenge and an opportunity to leave his mark on a program with a rich basketball heritage. The Cardinal’s impending move to the ACC, alongside fellow Pac-12 defectors Cal and SMU, only adds to the intrigue surrounding Smith’s arrival in Palo Alto.

While the hire may raise eyebrows among some Cardinal faithful, Smith’s track record speaks for itself. Prior to his successful stint at Washington State, he spent three seasons at the helm of San Francisco, leading the Dons to at least 20 wins in each of those campaigns. Before that, he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround at Columbia, guiding the Lions to their first 20-win season in over four decades and a program-record 25 victories in 2015-16, capped by a CollegeInsider.com tournament title.

As he prepares to embark on this new journey, Smith will look to draw upon the same formula that propelled Washington State to unprecedented heights this season: a relentless work ethic, a keen eye for talent, and an unwavering belief in his system. If he can replicate that success on The Farm, the Cardinal faithful may soon find themselves basking in the glow of a revitalized program.

Only time will tell if Kyle Smith can work his magic at Stanford, but one thing is certain: the coaching carousel continues to spin, and the Cardinal have just added a new passenger with a proven track record of exceeding expectations.