Washington State Coaches React to Gonzaga, Pac-12 News

The two Cougars head coaches are fired up for a new rivalry.

Mar 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A NCAA Wilson evo NXT official game basketball with the Pac-12 Conference logo at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When the news dropped that Gonzaga would be leaving the West Coast Conference and joining the new Pac-12, a story that has been gaining steam recently, it left many people in shock, but left just as many excited, including their new interstate rivals, the Washington State Cougars.

The Bulldogs, perennial winners in their old conference, are excited to compete in their new one, led by future Hall-of-Fame Head Coach Mark Few, who has an outstanding record at Gonzaga of 716-143, which includes a staggering 45-5 in WCC tournament games and 43-24 in NCAA tournament games, as well as several first-round and other NBA draft picks in the last decade-plus.

What they bring hasn't been lost on the opposing teams either, as it's obvious that this inclusion raises the profile of the Pac-12 on a national level and invites more eyes onto a group of teams vying for power conference status. While that may take more time on the football side of things, Gonzaga's presence immediately gives them a major bump on the basketball front.

Cougars men's basketball head coach David Riley, who arrived this year after a very successful stint at Eastern Washington, said the following to KREM in Spokane: "I think it's exciting. You know this, the rivalry between Gonzaga and Washington State, just being in the area is incredible." The two schools, which are separated by just 75 miles, will have a newly developed competitive relationship now that State's former rival Washington has moved to the Big 10.

Kamie Etheridge of the women's basketball program had this to say to KREM: "I think it's a great move for the league. I think it is great for us in regional rivalry. So excited about them being with us."

Clearly, the move has people excited about the new edition of the Pac-12, which many thought was left for dead just a few months ago. Teresa Gould's tenure as the commissioner has been extremely successful so far, and it will be interesting to see where they look next to bolster their conference.

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