Former WSU coach Kyle Smith relishes Stanford opportunity at his 'dream job'

Washington State head coach Kyle Smith directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. Washington State won 71-54. Ever since Kyle Smith watched Mike Montgomery turn Stanford from an also-ran into a national basketball power, he has viewed the Cardinal job as the dream destination in his coaching career., tasked with getting the program back to the heights it enjoyed under Montgomery.

But Smith is adamant that the Stanford education and brand can still attract top players, even if finding those able to get into the difficult school takes more effort. Smith believes his style fits "like a glove” with the players who are attracted to Stanford. He relies heavily on analytics with his style of play often described as “Nerdball” for its use of about 60 metrics to create a signature stat called HPPP — Hustle Points Per Possession — that he uses to grade players in practice and games.

After a longtime stint as the top assistant at nearby Saint Mary’s, Smith spent six seasons as the head coach at Columbia in the Ivy League. He then spent three seasons at San Francisco before coaching the past five seasons in the Pac-12 at Washington State.Smith believes his experience recruiting players in the Ivy League will help at Stanford, which can offer the opportunity to play in an elite conference to go with the academics.

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