Washington to hire Pat Chun: Huskies poach Washington State AD for same role ahead of Big Ten move

Chun returns to the Big Ten, where he spent the first 15 years of his administrative career

By Shehan Jeyarajah Mar 26, 2024 at 3:03 pm ET• 1 min read

Washington is set to hire Washington State athletic director Pat Chun to the same position, according to 247Sports. Chun replaces Troy Dannen, who left just months after accepting the job to take the open AD position at Nebraska. It's a six-year deal for Chun to leave the Cougars for the rival Huskies, according to multiple reports. 

Chun is a well-regarded athletic director who has overseen a period of strong success at Wazzu. The football team put together a streak of seven consecutive bowl games, while the men's basketball team made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008 this season. The women's basketball team also won the Pac-12 championship in 2023. 

The collapse of the Pac-12 has put the two remaining institutions -- Washington State and Oregon State -- in a precarious position. Men's basketball coach Kyle Smith left Washington State for former conference rival Stanford on Monday, while Oregon State football coach Jonathan Smith departed for Michigan State after a 25-13 record over the past three seasons. The pair will officially compete as FBS football independents in 2024-25, though the schools have a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West.