Washington State removes interim tag, names Anne McCoy as athletic director

PULLMAN — Anne McCoy has been named the athletic director at Washington State after holding the interim role the past three months, the school announced Tuesday.

McCoy was elevated into the interim athletic director role in March after Pat Chun left to take the same position at Washington. She has worked at Washington State since 2001.

“Anne’s experience within college athletics, her reputation among her peers, and most importantly, her passion and commitment to WSU, make her the perfect fit to move Cougar Athletics forward as our next director of athletics,” Washington State president Kirk Schulz said in a statement.

McCoy will be charged with leading Washington State through an uncertain and likely turbulent next couple of years as the Cougars, along with Oregon State, try to forge a path forward as the only two remaining members of what was the Pac-12 Conference. The Cougars and Beavers will play a football schedule against mostly Mountain West Conference opponents for the upcoming season. They will also compete as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference in most other sports.

Washington State will compete as affiliate members of the Mountain West in baseball and women’s swimming as well.

During McCoy’s time as the interim athletic director, she led the search that ended in the hiring of David Riley as men’s basketball coach and signed women’s basketball coach Kamie Ethridge to a contract extension.

“Washington State University is an amazing and special place that has been a huge part of our family for over 23 years. It is home,” McCoy said. “Serving this institution with its tremendous history is an honor and one I don’t take lightly.”