Washington coach Ken Knutson will not be back for his 18th season as the Huskies’ head coach in 2010. Washington athletics director Scott Woodward told the Seattle Times that it was time for the program to seek new leadership, but Knutson disputed the notion that he was fired. The Huskies haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2004 and have been passed by Oregon State and even Washington State as the top programs in the Pacific Northwest.

"We just haven’t been good enough," Knutson told the Times. "I know there are issues. They are pretty easy (to document). But I’m competitive. I’m not going to be average. My coaching career wasn’t average. We’re just moving on right now."

The Huskies are moving on with their coaching search, and one source with knowledge of the situation suggests that San Francisco coach Nino Giarratano is on their short list. Giarratano is one of the most highly regarded coaches on the West Coast for fielding competitive teams every year despite meager resources at USF.

If the Huskies want to tap a rising star from the ranks of Pac-10 assistants, they might consider Arizona State’s Josh Holliday, Oregon State’s Marty Lees or Arizona’s Mark Wasikowski.