Northwest Notes June 29, 2022
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 4 years, 3 months AGO
Hunter named assistant basketball coach at WSU
PULLMAN — Washington State men's basketball coach Kyle Smith announced Tuesday the addition of Wayne Hunter as an assistant coach.
“We are extremely fortunate having Wayne on board,” said Smith. “He is coming from a Saint Mary’s program that has been in the NCAA tournament or NIT the last 15 seasons."
Last year, Hunter briefly joined the men's basketball staff at WSU as recruiting coordinator before transitioning back to his alma mater as an assistant coach. He reunites with Smith, who coached Hunter during the former standout guard's playing days at Saint Mary's.
Prior to coming to Washington State, Hunter spent the 2021-22 season at Saint Mary's College where he helped the Gaels to a 26-8 overall record and capped off the regular season at home with a win over top-ranked Gonzaga. The Gaels were a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest in program history, and reached the second round.
Before that, he spent two seasons at UC Riverside as an assistant coach. Prior to that, he coached at the AAU and high school level.
As a player, Hunter was a standout combo guard at Saint Mary’s where he helped lead the Gaels to three postseason appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2010 as a senior. He graduated with a degree in communications in 2010.