WSU Cougars announce extensions for both basketball coaches

The WSU Cougars announced Tuesday that they’ve extended the contracts of both men’s basketball coach David Riley and women’s basketball coach Kamie Ethridge through the 2030-31 season.

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Riley is in the first year of a six-year contract he signed last April. The Cougars got off to a strong 13-3 start this season, but lost 10 of their final 15 regular season games while dealing with numerous injuries, including a season-ending shoulder injury to standout guard Cedric Coward. WSU finished the regular season 18-13 overall and 8-10 in the WCC.

Riley, who played in college at Spokane’s D-III Whitworth University, replaced Kyle Smith after the latter left for the same job at Stanford following WSU’s run to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Riley spent the three previous seasons at Eastern Washington, compiling a 62-30 record while winning two Big Sky regular season titles and two Big Sky coach of the year awards.

Ethridge has helped the women’s team reach new heights since taking the long-struggling program in 2018. The former University of Texas standout guided the Cougars to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2021-23, breaking a 30-year tournament drought in the process. WSU’s 23 wins during the 2022-23 campaign were the most in program history and its 2023 Pac-12 Tournament title was the schools first Pac-12 championship in any women’s sport.

Ethridge, who was named 2022-23 national coach of the year by The Athletic, previously signed an extension with WSU through the 2029-30 campaign last April. The WSU women finished the 2024-25 regular season 19-12, including 14-6 in WCC play.

🚨 EXTENDED‼️ 🚨

Thrilled to extend both Coach Riley and Coach Ethridge another year and have them leading our programs through the 2030-31 season.#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/zAjzJTAiaU

— Washington State Cougars (@WSUCougars) March 4, 2025

The WSU men open WCC Tournament play as the sixth seed March 8 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Cougars’ opponent has yet to be determined.

The women begin WCC Tournament play in the quarterfinals as the third seed March 9 at the same location. Their opponent also has yet to be determined.

WSU started a two-year membership as an affiliate member of the WCC in 12 sports, including basketball, this school year.

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