Washington State fires head coach June Daugherty
After a season of medical issues and tragedy, Washington State head coach June Daugherty will not return to the team. The school fired the longtime coach Tuesday. Her husband Mike, an associate head coach, is also leaving WSU. A national search for the program’s next head coach will begin immediately.
“Thank you to coach June Daugherty for her years of service to Washington State University,” said WSU athletic director Patrick Chun in a press release. “We appreciate everything she has done for our student-athletes, women’s basketball and this university.”
Daugherty stepped away from coaching for medical reasons on January 24 while her husband took over the program. She did not return during the season and spent much of her time away recovering in Arizona. In late February, the day before the team’s last home game of the regular season, WSU’s strength and conditioning director David Lang passed away suddenly. He worked directly with the women’s basketball program. As a result, the team’s last home game, a contest vs. Stanford, was canceled.
The team finished the season 10-20 overall and 3-14 in the Pac-12. They fell to USC, 47-44, in the opening round of the Pac-12 tournament. Daugherty had an overall record of 130-218 at Washington State after 11 seasons including three WNIT appearances. Her career record is 443-431 over 29 seasons.
Washington State hired its athletic director in late January. Chun came from Florida Atlantic. Last year at FAU, he fired women’s basketball coach Kellie Lewis-Jay in the offseason before hiring former Dayton coach Jim Jabir.
