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UW men’s basketball assistant coach Will Conroy is leaving the Huskies

Assistant coach Will Conroy (left) and head coach Mike Hopkins of the Washington Huskies look on as the team takes on the USC Trojans during the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament quarterfinals at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Getty Images)
By Percy Allen Seattle Times

SEATTLE – It can be argued Will Conroy, the former standout from Garfield High in Seattle, Washington walk-on and career Husky assists record holder who served as an assistant on two coaching staffs, is the most ardent supporter of the UW men’s basketball team.

But after 13 years – four as a player and nine as a coach – Conroy announced via social media Friday he’s not returning to the Huskies next season.

“It’s time for me to move on,” Conroy said. “I wanted to put it out there and let everyone know where I stand.”

Several Huskies, including freshman Wesley Yates III, lobbied for Conroy to become the next Washington head coach and many UW fans had hoped he would be retained by new coach Danny Sprinkle.

Conroy, who joined Lorenzo Romar’s staff in 2015, survived one coaching change and was hired by Mike Hopkins in 2017. In 2022, Hopkins promoted him to associate head coach.

Sprinkle, who was hired Monday, has been noncommittal on whether he was going to bring back Conroy or assistant Quincy Pondexter, another former Husky star who garnered public support from UW players.

Conroy and Pondexter were Washington’s lead recruiters who secured Koren Johnson, Braxton Meah, Yates and five-star prospect Zoom Diallo, who orally committed to the Huskies.

Andy Hill, who served as the associate head coach at Utah State, is expected to follow Sprinkle to Seattle if he’s not hired to fill the Aggies’ coaching vacancy. Hill began his coaching career in 2000 at Whitworth College .

Reportedly, Sprinkle is considering Cal State Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor and former USC associate head coach Tony Bland for coaching positions at UW.

Meanwhile, former Franklin High standout Alvin Snow, who starred at Eastern Washington, has emerged as an assistant candidate at Washington.

It’s also believed former Husky assistant Jerry Hobie will be retained in some capacity.

Sprinkle has spent the past few days meeting with luminaries in the Seattle basketball community, including former UW stars Eldridge Recasner, Spencer Hawes, Nate Robinson and David Crisp as well as former NBA great Jamal Crawford.

“My first priority is figuring out the staff,” Sprinkle said Tuesday. “Not sure how all of that is going to work out, but we need to move quickly there.”

Conroy leaves behind a legacy at Washington highlighted by a school-record 515 assists during his career.

“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “I came to Washington as an 18-year-old kid, I matured and I grew into a man under coach Romar. The Husky fan base has watched me grow as a basketball player and that was awesome. Once my (playing) career concluded, they accepted me back and then they watched my career grow as a coach and they accepted me.

“The big maturation points in my life have been right here at the University of Washington. That’s what makes this so tough. But sometimes you got to get away to get back. Maybe that’s one of these times.”

When asked what’s next, Conroy said: “I’m not sure what’s next. It’s so early in the process, but I’m a grinder. I’m a warrior. I’m a hard worker. I’ll be fine.”