Washington State University recently lost their athletic director, and to make matters worse, they lost him to Washington, their rival. Pat Chun was the AD for the Cougars, but as the school was left in the dust in terms of conference realignment, he decided to make to the move to the Huskies, who will be in the Big Ten next season. Washington State football coach Jake Dickert is thankful that he received his coaching opportunity for Chun, but he wants to be around people that want to be with the Cougars.

“One of our mission statements is to possess a genuine appreciation for the effort and commitment that everyone makes,” Jake Dickert said, according to a tweet from Greg Woods. “And I have a genuine appreciation for Pat. I wouldn't be standing in front of you guys with a life-changing opportunity if he didn't believe in me. Those are the facts. I believe in facts, not emotions. But at the end of the day, we want people here who want to be here. That's from the janitor all the way up to the top of the administration.”

The announcement of Pat Chun departing for Washington came earlier this week, and he signed a six-year deal with Washington. Filling this role is going to be tough as Washington State football (and all other programs) don't have a conference, and Washington State basketball is currently looking for a new head coach.

“Sources: The University of Washington is finalizing a six-year deal to hire Pat Chun, the athletic director at rival Washington State, as the school’s new athletic director,” Pete Thamel said in a tweet earlier this week. “He’s been the AD at Washington State since 2018 and also worked as FAU’s athletic director.”

Washington State Cougars director of athletics Pat Chun looks on before a game against the Colorado State Rams at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium.
© James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Washington State basketball needs a new head coach

Before Washington State needed a new head basketball coach and a new AD, their situation still wasn't great. The Cougars are one of two Pac-12 schools that don't have a conference next season, and for football, they will be playing against Mountain West teams. The athletic department is not in a good spot, and now, things are even worse.

The Cougars finished up their basketball season last week in the NCAA Tournament as they lost against two seed Iowa State in the second round. Washington State had a great season, but head coach Kyle Smith just left the program to be the head coach at Stanford.

When a school typically loses a coach, it is the athletic director's job to hire a replacement. Unfortunately for Washington State, they don't have an AD. This is a dangerous time for the athletic department, and they are going to have to make some moves quickly.