Washington hires Syracuse's Mike Hopkins as head coach

Washington has dropped a coaching bombshell, as athletic director Jennifer Cohen officially announced Sunday the hiring of former Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins as the program's next head coach.

Washington has been without a head coach since relieving Lorenzo Romar of his duties after a disappointing 9-22 season, ending a 15-year partnership.

"I'm extremely excited to welcome Mike and his family to Seattle," Cohen said. "His resume and reputation within the basketball community made him stand out to us, but ultimately it was his vision for Washington, his passion for teaching and developing student-athletes and his close alignment with the core values of our institution and department that made it more than clear that he was the right fit for us."

The hiring comes somewhat out of left field, considering Hopkins' deep ties to the Syracuse program. Hopkins was formally announced as the head coach designate for the Orange in June 2015 and was set to take over the reigns from Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 season.

With Hopkins' departure, the Syracuse program receives a gust of uncertainty as to who exactly will take Boeheim's place once the Hall of Famer decides to ride off into the sunset.