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LOGAN — Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of the Aggies' basketball season, and less than year after he took the head coaching position at Utah State, Danny Sprinkle will depart Logan to be the head coach at Washington.
The news was made official Monday afternoon.
"Simply put, coach Sprinkle is a winner," Washington interim athletic director Erin O'Connell said in a statement. "He won as a high school player, as a collegiate student-athlete, as an assistant coach, and then at both stops as a head coach, including the recent regular season conference championship at Utah State.
"But beyond his coaching acumen is his ability to connect with student-athletes, develop them into outstanding young men and basketball players and embrace the community around him. Coach is exactly what our program needs at this moment in time and we are thrilled to have him take the reigns of our men's basketball program."
Sprinkle had been the top target for Washington for several weeks, with his name linked to the job since Washington fired Mike Hopkins on March 8.
"I want to express my sincere gratitude to president (Ana Mari) Cauce and the athletic department leadership for entrusting me to lead the men's basketball program at this world-class institution," Sprinkle said in a statement. "It was going to take something special for me to leave Logan, and the University of Washington was it.
"The university means a great deal to our family and I am excited to return to my home state. With a strong commitment to excellence and incredible fan support, we will recruit exceptional young men who will take pride in wearing the purple and gold, who will win championships and who will leave UW with an impressive degree. I am excited to get started and to be a part of such a special place."
Sprinkle's father, Bill Sprinkle, played football for the Huskies in the late 1960's as a defensive back and a punt returner, so there's a family connection to Washington.
In Sprinkle's first and sole season with Utah State, he posted a 28-7 record and led the Aggies to an outright regular season Mountain West title. He went on to lead Utah State to their first NCAA Tournament win in 23 years and just their second in the last 50 years.
He accomplished those feats with a team that returned 0 points, just one of three Division I schools to return such little production this year.
Sprinkle's departure includes a $2.9 million contract buyout that equates to 75% of the remaining salary on his contract. Last year, Sprinkle agreed to a five-year, $900,000 per year deal, with a $25,000 increase each year. Utah State's last coach, Ryan Odom, had a contract buyout of $1.2 million.
The Aggies' new head coach will be their fourth head coach since the 2020-21 season.
