Why was Jerod Haase fired from Stanford? Exploring potential reasons behind Cardinal's coaching change

Stanford v Arizona — Jerod Haase fired as head coach of Stanford

Following a 79-62 thrashing to Washington State in the Pac-12 Tournament, the Stanford Cardinal men's basketball team announced that long-term coach Jerod Haase was relieved of his duties.

After a mediocre season, where the team finished with a 14-18 record (8-12 in Conference games), the move wasn't entirely unexpected. After their season came to a close, the team tweeted to confirm the removal of Haase, who had joined in 2016:

"Stanford’s Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball Jerod Haase has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, as announced by Jaquish and Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir."

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Why was Jerod Haase fired?

Jerod Haase of the Stanford Cardinal men's basketball team

One of the primary reasons for Haase getting fired may have to do with the team's poor record this season. Finishing the year 14-18 continued a trend of disappointing seasons for the Cardinal men's basketball team.

In eight seasons with Stanford, Haase could not take his team to the postseason. While their best year in 2019-20 saw the team go 20-12, the NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, the Cardinal has seen its record get progressively worse each year. Their 14-18 record this year is the worst under Haase since his debut season in 2016-17, when the team finished 14-17.

With Stanford in a transitional year and ready to make their switch to the ACC, Bernard Muir explained the reasoning behind Haase's removal:

"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.

"As we embark on the search for our next head coach, I wish Jerod and his family all the best in the future."

Despite having NBA-ready talents like KZ Okpala, Tyrell Terry and Ziaire Williams, Jerod Haase ended his Cardinal stint with a rather underwhelming 126-127 record.

Before joining Stanford, Jerod was a coach for the University of Alabama in Birmingham. There, the team had a long upward trajectory, making the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2014-15 after a 20-16 record in the Conference.

While Alabama beat Iowa State in an instant 60-59 classic, their season ended in the Round of 32 against UCLA following a 92-75 loss. His collegiate career saw Haase make pitstops at the University of California and the University of Kansas, where he remained a key contributor, finishing as a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith award.

The search for a new coach at Stanford is on, with Washington State's Kyle Smith, Colgate's Matt Langel and Princeton's Mitch Henderson being seen as viable replacements.