Mike Hopkins is not a name most Husky fans expected to hear this morning, but his name is being linked to an open head coach position. According to basketball insider Adam Zagoria, Hopkins is being targeted by Siena after Gerry McNamara took a position at his alma mater, Syracuse. Hopkins hasn't been in college coaching since leaving the Huskies.
He's been in the NBA as an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns for the last few years, but is looking to make a return to the sidelines of the college coaching world.
Hop went 118-106 with one NCAA Tournament appearance in 7 seasons at Washington
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 27, 2026
He’s currently an asst with the Pelicans and spent last year with the Suns
Ace recruiter in the college ranks https://t.co/Dlx5dDfTa5
Mike Hopkins could be on the verge of reviving his college coaching career with Siena
Related: Arizona fans are stressed about Tommy Lloyd and blaming Jedd Fisch
The Mike Hopkins era was a strange one for the Washington Huskies. He started his tenure in a remarkable way, coming from Syracuse. He won Pac-12 coach of the year both of his first two seasons at the helm. He looked to be the rising star and an elite coach. A top-tier recruiter and someone who had the program going in the right direction.
He went 21-13 in his first season, followed by 27-9, but then the train came off the rails, and that next season, his Huskies went 15-17, followed by a terrible 5-21. The rest of his time at Washington was filled with mediocrity, floating around .500 for the next three seasons.
Who knows how Hopkins would return to the head coaching world if he learned from whatever it was that both brought him to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows? Then, he could be a steal. He's a defensive guru and a great recruiter, but at some point along the way at Washington, it simply no longer worked.
Spending time in the NBA may have really helped him figure things out and get his career back on the right track. He will be someone to watch if Siena and Hopkins end up matching up all the way. For now, it's a name that came as a surprise in the daily news.