Former WSU coach Kyle Smith’s buyout was less than $1M when he left for Stanford

PULLMAN – Earlier this week, when former Washington State basketball coach Kyle Smith decamped for the same job at Stanford, his new school didn’t have to break the bank.

Smith’s buyout at the time of leaving was $750,000, according to a copy of his WSU contract reviewed by The Spokesman-Review, which is the amount Stanford owed Washington State to break his contract early. If the Cardinal had waited until Monday to hire Smith, the buyout would have decreased to $500,000.

Smith, who accepted the job on Monday morning and was introduced at Stanford on Wednesday afternoon, made $1.2 million last season at WSU. He was set to make $1.3 million in 2024-25 and $1.5 million in each of the two seasons that followed, the last two years on his contract.

Smith spent five years at WSU, last season taking the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Cougars’ season ended Saturday with a loss to second-seeded Iowa State in the Round of 32.

Because Stanford is a private university, coaching contracts are harder to obtain, but it’s likely Smith is receiving a significant raise . The contract of his predecessor, Jerod Haase, is not publicly known.

Whatever raise Smith is getting, he will likely dedicate a portion to caring for his autistic son, 13-year-old Bo. A big factor in his decision to leave for Stanford, he said, involved the resources available for Bo, including the university’s autism center – widely regarded as one of the best in the country.

Bo’s caregiver, Emily Hoot, is also moving with the family to California, Smith said in his Wednesday news conference. He got emotional talking about the situation.

“To have that opportunity for our family, my son, to have maybe more resources,” Smith said, “just honored and thankful.”