Alex Yano’s journey in college basketball operations is a story told through his deep connection to WSU and the pivotal moments that shaped his path.
“One of my first memories as a kid was at four years old, and we were sitting down in our family basement room watching the Apple Cup,” said Yano. “The feeling of the team staying on top was something I wanted to be involved with for the rest of my life”.
This obsession with sports led Yano, who grew up in Cenntenial, Colorado, to explore sports media as a student at Washington State. There, he became a student correspondent for CougFan.com. His commitment deepened when he joined the men’s basketball program as a team manager for the 2019 season.
“I sent an email to Kyle Smith and Nick Rolovitch, and said I know what it means to be a part of the program and asked if they had any opportunities,” said Yano. ” Coach Smith got back to me first and offered me a spot as a team manager for the basketball team and the rest is history.”
While a role with the team could have caused distractions in the classroom, Yano’s focus never wavered.
“Wendy Raney was one in the Murrow College that since my senior year gave me advice to make things easier,” said Yano. “That (advice) provided the groundwork for me being able to give 110 percent to my job and get to where I need to be in school.”
Raney is an assistant scholarly professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at WSU.
“He always came forward with a plan… rather than just coming to me with ‘this isn’t going to work, like I’m not going to be able to do this,’” said Raney. “He’s very much a problem solver and someone who can recognize what needs to be done and come up with a way to get it done.”
Yano graduated from WSU in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media production and was looking for his next opportunity.
“Smith called me and said there’s an opportunity in Hawaii to be a grad assistant,” said Yano. “I got in touch with my parents and I was like, ‘yes, let’s do it.’”
Yano joined Hawaii basketball in the summer of 2022 as a graduate manager, finishing the graduate program in 2023.
“On August 9th of 2023, I got a text from coach Smith and I was like, ‘what, why is he reaching out to talk to me,’” said Yano. “I called him at I think six in the morning, and he said, ‘Hey, I’m looking for a director of operations.’”
Yano accepted the job and returned to WSU as the director of operations in August 2023.
“Coming back to Pullman was one of the most special days of my life,” said Yano.
Washington State would finish with a 25-10 record in the 2023-24 season and make the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.
“Smith took the job at Stanford about three days after we got back from Omaha,” said Yano. ”I just called coach Smith and we kind of talked for a little bit and he said, ‘Well, if you want to come out to Stanford’—immediately, I just said absolutely again.”
Yano joined the Stanford men’s basketball team in 2024 as the director of basketball operations.
Stanford finished the 2024 season 21-14, with a second-round exit in the National Invitational Tournament.
Yano’s roots in Pullman remain strong, with a long-term aspiration to return to his alma mater.
“I think I would hopefully one day be the coach at Washington State, that would be the real deal,” said Yano.
