Washington State coaching candidates: Top 5 Kyle Smith replacements ft. Will Wade

With teams looking to fill in their coaching vacancies, Washington State Cougars coach Kyle Smith has darted to take the Stanford Cardinal job.

Smith was the 2024 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, after getting a win in the NCAA Tournament over the Drake Bulldogs, he leveraged that into his new position.

But which coach is going to replace him at Washington State? Let's take a closer look and discuss some of the potential options.

Kyle Smith Replacement #1: Mitch Henderson

A two-time Ivy League Coach of the Year with his alma mater at Princeton, Mitch Henderson has shown the capabilities of what he can do here. With 13 years at the school, it may be time for him to change location and get to a program where he has more of an athletic budget and better recruits to work with.

Washington State provides that for him and he has shown to be an excellent coach with two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Henderson can ride that success into a new job at a Power Five school.

Kyle Smith Replacement #2: Matt Langel

Matt Langel has been an excellent coach in the Patriot League for Colgate but it seems he has hit his ceiling there. The program won the regular season championship every year since the 2018-19 season and won the conference tournament in five of the six seasons. However, they failed to win an NCAA Tournament game in any of their appearances and Langel has proven his worth to the school.

Washington State may be on the other side of the country but they provide a Power Five opportunity and the chance to be successful in the NCAA Tournament. After 13 seasons at Colgate, this opportunity to elevate in terms of schools would be a great fit for him.

Kyle Smith Replacement #3: Bob Huggins

There have been reports that Bob Huggins wants to return to coaching after resigning last summer. He has gone through rehab and claims sobriety since his DUI incident last summer. Though his stint with Washington State may be brief, his presence brings prestige to the program. With 26 NCAA Tournaments and two Final Fours under his belt, Huggins' coaching experience adds significant value.

Whether people want to admit it or not, this would be a home run hire for the Cougars if they could land a future Hall of Fame coach. Although the partnership may not be long as he wants to return to West Virginia, this could be a step in the right direction.

Kyle Smith Replacement #4: Joe Pasternack

Joe Pasternack is one of the best coaches in the mid-majors as he has been with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos since the 2017-18 season. His ability to succeed has shown he can win and given a Power Five athletic department, the resources would help elevate his game.

It is only a matter of time before a Power Five school signs him for their program. Washington State has that possibility now and should do everything they can to get the coach who has gone 148-68 with UC Santa Barbara.

Kyle Smith Replacement #5: Will Wade

Will Wade has a lot of different factors surrounding him but is overall one of the top coaches that could be available. He is currently the coach of the McNeese State Cowboys and was fired by the LSU Tigers after the 2022 SEC Tournament and before the NCAA Tournament due to multiple NCAA violations.

While McNeese is a strong program, it will not get the attention as a Power Five school like Washington State does. He has been welcomed back to college basketball, and having him as part of the new-look Pac-12 Conference would help boost it. Wade is a great coach with a 293-100 career record and getting back into the Power Five could help the Cougars take that next step.

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