Pat Chun is moving across state, as he departed Washington State on Tuesday to become the athletic director at Washington.
Chun will start his duties at Washington, located in Seattle, on Wednesday and will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday.
“It is truly an honor for my family and I to join the University of Washington family, and I look forward to doing my part to help elevate the athletics program and the University,” Chun said in a news release. “I am grateful to President (Ann Mari) Cauce for the opportunity and will work closely with our campus partners, our coaches and our staff to help our student-athletes have an incredible experience at UW.
“Our transition to the Big Ten is a critical step in our journey and great things lie ahead for the Huskies!”
Chun has been the athletic director at Washington State for six-plus years. That school is located in remote Pullman, approximately 285 miles from Seattle.
The Huskies and Cougars have long been fierce Apple Cup rivals. So while the move is certainly sure to produce tension between the fan bases, Washington is about to depart for the Big Ten and
Washington State is one of two Pac-12 programs that will not be aligned with a major conference in 2024.
Chun is about to start a three-year stint on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Before becoming the Washington State AD, Chun served in the same role at Florida Atlantic for five seasons. He also spent 15 years working in various positions within the Ohio State athletic department.
“Pat has a track record of success and a wealth of experience — from 15 years in the Big Ten and service on national groups guiding the future of college sports, to securing community support and a commitment to the well-being of student-athletes,” Cauce said in the news releases. “He knows our state, is highly respected in national athletics circles and has an eye for talent. I’m so happy he’ll be joining us to lead UW Athletics into the future.”
Chun replaces Troy Dannen, who left after five-plus months to become the new AD at Nebraska.
Chun’s move to Washington comes one day after Cougars basketball coach Kyle Smith departed the Palouse to take the Stanford job. The Cougars made the NCAA Tournament this year for the first time since 2008.
Also, the Huskies hired a new basketball coach Monday with Utah State’s Danny Sprinkle being unveiled to replace the fired Mike Hopkins.
Washington also has a new football coach in Jedd Fisch. He replaces Kalen DeBoer, who parlayed the Huskies’ CFP title game appearance into becoming the new coach at Alabama.
