Former Washington head coach top target for mid-major opening
Former Washington head coach Mike Hopkins is reportedly the top target for Siena University's open position.
Over two years after he was fired as the head coach of the Washington Huskies , it appears that Mike Hopkins will have another opportunity to be at the helm of a college basketball program. According to multiple reports, Hopkins is the favorite to take over at Siena University in the wake of head coach Gerry McNamara, who came close to pulling off an upset of the No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament, departed to take over at Syracuse, the alma mater of both coaches.
During his seven years on Montlake, Hopkins compiled a 118-106 record, but made most of his impact in his first two seasons, when he was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns. He led the Huskies to an NCAA Tournament appearance, where they beat Utah State before falling to North Carolina, and didn't come close to sniffing the Big Dance after. Siena is targeting former Washington HC and Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins as its next coach, per sources pic.
twitter. com/yTg30PgI5R ā Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 27, 2026 His early success was more than enough to land him a contract extension, but things went south quickly. Hopkins was able to recruit decently well, pulling in five-star prospects Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, while Keion Brooks Jr.
was a strong addition out of the transfer portal, but he had trouble filling out his roster and maximizing the talent he had. The best finish he had in the five seasons following his extension was a pair of 17-15 records, which left Washington stuck in mediocrity. After he was let go, Hopkins served as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns before working as the head of player development with the New Orleans Pelicans.