Washington coach is giving his bonus back to fans in a unique way
Instead of pocketing the $15,000 bonus he received for winning Pac-12 coach of the year last season, Washington men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins is giving that money away.
Hopkins will distribute $12 Starbucks gift cards to Huskies supporters who show up to the Starbucks at Seattle’s U-Village on Thursday from 2-3 p.m. Fans who show proof they’re Washington basketball season-ticket holders will receive an additional gift card.
“It was a great honor to be named Pac-12 Coach of the Year, but the reality is this is a tribute to our entire team, our program and the University community,” Hopkins said. “I wouldn’t have won this award without such incredible support, so I wanted to give back to some of the many important people who have made this a memorable first season possible, and have welcomed me and my family into this incredible Seattle community.”
Hopkins earned his Pac-12 coach of the year award by exceeding modest expectations in his debut season as Washington’s head coach.
The year before Hopkins arrived, Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies went 9-22 despite the presence of future No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Markelle Fultz. Hopkins took a similar roster minus Fultz and molded it into a 21-win team that was in position to make the NCAA tournament before dropping six of nine games down the stretch to settle for the NIT.
A byproduct of Hopkins’ success in his debut season was Washington’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion reemerging as one of the West Coast’s most formidable home courts. The Huskies finished 15-4 at home including an early February sweep of Arizona and Arizona State in front of a pair of lively sellout crowds.
DOMINIC GREEN AT THE BUZZER
Huskies knock off No. 9 Arizona for their fourth straight win to improve to 17-6 (7-3 Pac-12) pic.twitter.com/rFzcyDc9N2
— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) February 4, 2018
In late January, Hopkins took out a full-page ad in The Seattle Times thanking Washington fans for their support.
Now he’s done one better, by offering them free coffee as a further show of gratitude.
– – – – – – –
Jeff Eisenberg is a college basketball writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!