Washington State Cougars Fire AD Anne McCoy; What’s Behind Bold Move?
In a move that surprised many, Washington State University has fired Athletic Director Anne McCoy, ending her more than two-decade tenure with Cougar Athletics.
McCoy had worked for Washington State since 2001 and served as interim athletic director from March 2024 to June 2024 before being hired full-time to replace Pat Chun, who left for the same position at the University of Washington.
McCoy led WSU through a challenging stretch that included the university being on the wrong side of the realignment bubble with a mass exodus of former Pac-12 opponents to other conferences and the losses of head coaches Jake Dickert and Kyle Smith. During her tenure, she hired head football coach Jimmy Rogers and men’s basketball coach David Riley, and also helped Washington State become an affiliate member of the Mountain West Conference in baseball and swimming.
“Anne has provided steady leadership through one of the most complex and pivotal periods in the history of Cougar Athletics,” said WSU President Elizabeth Cantwell in a press release. “She built a strong foundation for the program’s future grounded in integrity, academic success, and care for our student-athletes. We are deeply grateful for Anne’s decades of service and her unwavering commitment to Washington State University.”
Despite her long and respected history within the department, fundraising and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) efforts have been persistent challenges for Washington State. President Cantwell recently told 247Sports that “we are at the bottom in NIL for every team coming into the Pac-12 for football.”
A source told Emerald City Spectrum, “Everything is about fundraising and NIL, and ours is a tire fire right now.”
McCoy, a celebrated longtime member of Cougar Athletics known for her strong relationships with coaches and staff, reportedly struggled to generate the level of financial and NIL growth needed in the current college athletics landscape to be competitive in the rebuilt Pac-12.
With Washington State continuing to face challenges in the NIL landscape, the next athletic director must bring a proven track record in fundraising, donor engagement, and NIL development. Just as importantly, they’ll need to reignite passion and optimism among a fan base preparing for life in a newly rebuilt conference. The urgency is obvious: WSU has already lost its top returning football and basketball player from the 2024 season — quarterback John Mateer and forward LeJuan Watts — both of whom departed for substantial NIL opportunities elsewhere.
The timing of McCoy’s dismissal surprised many when the news appeared on social media Wednesday afternoon, but in hindsight, it may have been expected following Cantwell’s recent public comments. Cantwell, who was not the president who hired McCoy, appears to be steering the department in a new direction focused on aggressive fundraising and NIL competitiveness.
Jon Haarlow, WSU’s Chief Operating Officer for Athletics, will serve as interim athletic director while the university begins a national search for McCoy’s permanent replacement.
