The University of Washington has appointed Pat Chun, currently serving as the athletic director at Washington State University, as its new athletic director. This decision follows ESPN’s report by Pete Thamel, stating that the university was in the final stages of negotiating a six-year contract with Chun. This appointment was later confirmed by UW on Tuesday.
President Ana Mari Cauce expressed her confidence in Chun’s capabilities, citing his extensive experience in collegiate sports, including 15 years in the Big Ten and involvement in national sports governance. She highlighted his track record of success, community engagement, and commitment to student-athlete welfare. She also emphasized Chun’s familiarity with the state and his high standing in the national athletics community.
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. He’s been the AD at Washington State since 2018 and also worked as FAU’s athletic director. pic.twitter.com/FuqYt5fXVd
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 26, 2024
Chun, who has served as Washington State’s athletic director since 2018, will be succeeding Troy Dannen, who departed from UW to assume a role at the University of Nebraska. In the interim, Erin O’Connell, the Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer at UW, has been appointed as interim director. Additionally, the university recently announced the hiring of Danny Sprinkle from Utah State University as the new head basketball coach, succeeding Mike Hopkins.
During Chun’s tenure at Washington State, the athletic program achieved notable success, including ten NCAA Tournament appearances and six Pac-12 Conference Championships.
WSU President Kirk Schulz expressed gratitude to Chun for his service and announced plans to initiate a national search for his replacement promptly.
— WSU Office of the President (@WSU_Cougar_Pres) March 26, 2024
