A 79-62 loss to the Washington State Cougars in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament officially marks the end of Jerod Haase's tenure as Stanford basketball head coach. The program is dismissing him after eight years at the helm, per Tobias Bass of The Athletic.

Stanford finishes the season with a 14-18 record and suffers its second consecutive losing campaign. Its NCAA Tournament drought troublesomely extends to 10 years (did have 20 wins in COVID-shortened 2020). Haase was brought in to elevate the team beyond the status of NIT powerhouse, but instead the Cardinals regressed under his watch.

His success with UAB, which included an upset NCAA Tournament victory over No. 3-seeded Iowa State in 2015 and a Conference USA Coach of the Year award in 2016, just did not translate to the Pac-12. An improbable comeback victory versus California on Wednesday extended his time on the Stanford sidelines, but there was no magic to be found in the T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.

Stanford basketball must quickly lick their wounds and move forward

Six Washington state players scored in double figures, with Isaac Jones leading the way with 16 points. Spencer Jones had a game-high 22 on 8-of-12 shooting from the field in defeat. A massive gap in the rebounding battle (39-25) and poor free throw numbers (6-of-14) prevented the Cardinals from truly competing against the No. 22-ranked squad in the country.

The school issued a statement shortly after their decision to dismiss Jerod Haase.

“While the on-court results fell short of our expectations, Coach Haase led our men’s basketball program with great integrity and made a deeply positive impact on many Cardinal student-athletes,” athletic director Bernard Muir said, via Bass. “As we embark on the search for our next head coach, I wish Jerod and his family all the best in the future.”

Muir needs to get this head coaching hire right. Stanford basketball fans have been waiting a long time for their team to be relevant again. Unfortunately, the competition should only increase with the program moving to the Atlantic Cast Conference starting in the 2024-25 season.

Uncertainty lies ahead for both Haase and the Cardinals, but hopefully both sides can quickly land on their feat.