Washington State has hired Purdue assistant Spencer Allen to replace Travis Jewett, the Cougars assistant who left to take a job at Arizona State earlier this month. WSU head coach Donnie Marbut also announced that pitching coach Gregg Swensen has been promoted to associate head coach.

Allen spent the last two years at Purdue, where he coached the hitters to a school-record .309 batting average. Before that he spent two years as an area scout for the Tigers in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, and two years as an assistant at Creighton. He played his college ball at Iowa State and graduated in 2001.

At Washington State, Allen will coach first base, work with the outfielders and coordinate the team’s short game.

"Spencer will help us reach our goals and continue to make the Cougars a contender both in the Pac-10 and nationally," Marbut said. "We are really lucky to have Spencer as part of the Cougar family. With his experience in the Northwest, his professional experience and Division I experience, he’s a fantastic addition to our program. He brings new ideas and approaches that will benefit us greatly moving forward."