Mike Hopkins will not return as head coach of the Washington Huskies men's basketball program once the season concludes, the school announced Friday.
Hopkins has one full year left on his contract and will be owed nearly $3.1 million for the remainder of his contract, according to his contract.
“Mike has led the program with great integrity during his seven years in Washington and remains a highly respected coach and one of the sport's great gentlemen,” athletics director Troy Dannen said in a statement Friday. “All of us at the university are grateful for his service, his commitment to the experience of our student-athletes, and his leadership within the department.”
Hopkins is 118-105 in seven seasons at Washington, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019 when Washington won the conference title. Hopkins won the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award during each of his first two seasons in Washington.
Since that 2019 NCAA bid, Washington has not made the NCAA tournament. They won a game in the 2019 NCAA and finished that year 27-9. Since then, Washington has been inconsistent, including a 5-21 season in 2020-21.
Hopkins' tenure includes coaching a number of high-profile Huskies players, including NBA draft picks such as Matisse Thybulle, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. This year, Keion Brooks Jr. is the Pac-12's leading scorer with 21.3 points per game.
As Washington athletics moves to the Big Ten for the 2024-25 academic year, it will embark on a national search for an experienced head coach, according to sources.
Washington's top brass is expected to value head coaching experience, according to sources, similar to the priority new athletic director Troy Dannen placed during Washington's football search earlier this year. This will be Dannen's second high-profile hire since he took over in October.
He hired former Arizona coach Jedd Fisch to replace Kalen DeBoer, who left for Alabama after Washington reached the College Football Playoff title game following the 2023 football season.
The opening in Washington will become an interesting litmus test of how the job is viewed nationally as a Big Ten job, especially with the continued financial gap through television contracts that the league and SEC are forging in comparison with other conferences.
“As we transition to the Big Ten Conference in August, we do so with tremendous momentum, passionate fans and followers, as well as a proud basketball tradition,” Dannen added. “I am confident that we will identify a phenomenal leader for our men's basketball program who will embrace our institution's high expectations for academic, social and competitive success.”
Hopkins came to Washington as head coach in 2017 after working at Syracuse for Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim for 22 seasons. He was part of a squad that reached 16 NCAA tournaments, four Final Fours and the 2003 national title.
Hopkins is from Southern California and played collegiately at Syracuse. He has also been a major contributor to USA Basketball, as he has been an on-court coach on nine different USA Basketball teams.
Washington (17-14 overall, 9-11 conference) will enter the Pac-12 tournament with some momentum, as the Huskies have won two of the last three games. That includes a 74-68 win Thursday night at No. 18 Washington State and a home win against UCLA on Feb. 29.
