Sizing Up Potential Candidates To Become Washington State’s Next Coach

Washington State last week lost coach Brian Green to Wichita State. Green was hired away after four seasons in Pullman.

Washington State is one of the tougher baseball jobs in a major conference. The Cougars have been to the NCAA Tournament just twice since 1990 and those appearances came in back-to-back seasons in 2009-10. Since that 2010 team, the Cougars haven’t even reached the 30-win mark in a season.

Meanwhile, Washington State’s Pacific Northwest rivals have thrived. Oregon State is a powerhouse that has three national titles this century, including in 2018. Washington went to the College World Series in 2018 and this year made the NCAA Tournament under first-year coach Jason Kelly. Oregon this season hosted a super regional and has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Mark Wasikowski.

So, you can play winning baseball in the Pacific Northwest. But it’s not easy. Those three programs are heavily invested, as is Gonzaga, which has been perhaps the best program in the West Coast Conference over the last five years. Is Washington State ready—and able—to make that kind of investment? The athletic department is facing a significant budget shortfall, so looking for Washington State to catch up with its regional rivals through spending probably isn’t realistic.

With that in mind, the next Washington State coach probably needs to be ready to do a bit more with a bit less. The program is on relatively solid footing after Green’s tenure. Taking the next step for the Cougars would mean getting to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, which should be a reasonable goal in the near future.

The Candidates

Travis Jewett, assistant coach, Southern California

Jewett is a Washington State alumnus and was an assistant coach at WSU from 2005-2009. He just finished his first season at USC after six years as the head coach at Tulane, where he led the Green Wave to a 160-138-1 record. He’s a very well respected recruiter and hitting coach who previously worked at Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Washington and Gonzaga. He also was a head coach for four years in the Washington junior college ranks. He’s in a good spot at USC, but if Jewett wants to get back to being a head coach, he certainly knows the lay of the land in Pullman.

Reggie Christiansen, head coach, Sacramento State

Over the last decade, Christiansen, 47, has built Sac State into one of the most consistent programs in California. It’s the only program in the state to have won 30 games every season since 2012, and he’s led the Hornets to their only three NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. Christiansen has the track record and would bring important experience to Pullman.

Jake Valentine, recruiting coordinator, Washington State

Valentine would be a strong continuity candidate after joining the Washington State staff a year ago. The Washington native previously was an assistant coach at Portland, Santa Clara, UC Riverside and Stephen F. Austin. He’s a well-regarded recruiter, which is an especially important skill for the job.

Brad Sanfilippo, head coach, San Jose State

Sanfillippo, 48, this season took San Jose State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. He’s turned around the Spartans and led them to 30-win seasons in each of the last two years. Prior to 2022, San Jose State had not won 30 games in a season since 2011. He’s spent his whole career in the Bay Area, so Washington State would be a change, but he has Pac-12 experience from his time as an assistant at California.

Donegal Fergus, associate head coach, UC Santa Barbara

Fergus has spent the last two seasons at UCSB and previously was the Twins minor league hitting coordinator. Prior to those roles, however, he has a lengthy track record in Washington. He was an assistant coach at UW and Seattle and was the head coach in the state’s junior college ranks. As a standout recruiter and hitting coach with strong ties to the state, he checks a lot of boxes.