After five long months as the interim, Jon Haarlow is officially WSU’s full time athletic director. As the 16th AD in program history, Haarlow takes the reins during a very fraught period in college athletics. 

NIL, recruitment, a new conference and a flurry of new coaches make up a tall order for Haarlow at the helm. But, with five months already in the books, the pressure feels more like a privilege.

“I wouldn’t say pressure, as much as just a tremendous opportunity,” Haarlow said. “One that I’m thankful for. We try to put our best foot forward when our teams travel in competition… I think it’s just a great reminder of the power of what athletics can do, what a brand can do, and it’s something we take a lot of pride in.”

When it was announced on April 7, it was not that surprising that Haarlow would be staying put. Haarlow at one point joked in his introductory press conference that his 100-day plan started back in November.   

“We had coaching vacancies at that time. We needed to get stability in our coaching ranks,” he said. “We needed to fulfill a handful of fundraising priorities that we had, solidifying our football locker room. The upgrades to Gesa Field that we’ve solidified funding for. So, those are what we were able to accomplish in the first couple months.” 

For those on his staff, they were impressed with Haarlow’s audition. 

“I think [Haarlow] has done incredible work during his time as the interim,” Brad Corbin said, a deputy director of athletics. “He’s been in the role for several months now. So, I think he had the opportunity to really show off some good stuff.” 

To Corbin, athletics is vital to the survival and success of the university. To many, it serves as the main attraction that pulls them in. 

“Athletics is the front porch of the university because we are the first thing you see,” Corbin said. “I came from Kentucky. So, I’d seen Wazzu across the country. That’s something that obviously resonated with me… you see their brand wherever you are.” 

This idea was similarly touted by the woman behind Haarlow’s hiring: WSU President Elizabeth Cantwell. 

“Often, athletics is the only way that a lot of people know who we are and what we do…” Cantwell said in Haarlow’s introductory press conference. “They know about us because of our athletics programs.” 

During her remarks, Cantwell praised Haarlow specifically for his ability to work in tandem with herself.

“Haarlow is the perfect leader for the moment,” she said. “… He brings the ability to partner with me. That’s very important for this moment at WSU.” 

That quality of working in step with the WSU administration is something that is not lost on Haarlow. 

“We understand that we’ve got a lot of opportunities ahead to rebuild our athletic department into something our student athletes and our alumni could be really proud of,” Haarlow said. “I think [Cantwell and I are] both driven and motivated by that.” 

The support from the very top is a powerful weapon, which permits Haarlow to move confidently as AD. 

“I know that she’s extraordinarily supportive of athletics and that makes me feel much better about going about our day-to-day,” he said. “We know we have the backing of her and the rest of campus.” 

That day-to-day began five months ago, but now with the job nailed down, Haarlow can kick his plans into high gear.

“Looking forward, I think we build on what we’ve already laid the foundation for,” Haarlow said. “That’s strengthening the relationships with our alumni and our fans. The success that we had in retention with football and soccer and volleyball for our fall sports. We build on that.” 

Some of his most notable moves were made during the interim, including the hiring and extension of notable head coaching positions. Kirby Moore and Chris Citowicki were both hired and Korey Schroeder was extended for four years.

Poke Haarlow about any of them and he shares exactly why they were the right fit. 

“I think [Schroeder] really exceeded the expectations quite honestly,” Haarlow said. “There was a lot of instability when he took the helm and to retain the roster that he did and to have success in the WCC that he did, I thought was really tremendous… Someone that believed in the mission, believed in the culture that we have here… he had a great baseline for us to build off of.” 

For the new hires, that song remained the same.

“He’s a high energy guy. Brings a lot of enthusiasm every day,” he said when discussing Citowicki. “He’s a wonderful partner to the rest of our coaching staff and support staff, and he’s one that we felt he could hit the ground running immediately as we enter this new conference.”

In that same vein, Moore brings an energy and connection that works well in the new Pac-12. 

“He’s extraordinarily personable, he’s extraordinarily engaging, and he understands the value of relationships and relationships across the state of Washington,” Haarlow said.

  On top of that, Moore’s approach to student development mirrors that of Haarlow. 

“He talked about chasing two dreams, which ties back to the priorities that I’ve talked about,” Haarlow said. “He believes in chasing your football dream and then your dream once your competitive career is over. I believe in that tremendously.” 

In addition to the coaching hires, Haarlow’s staff points out the financial gains he made in the interim.  

“We closed some major fundraising goals that are allowing us to do the fan enhancement project at the stadium,” Corbin said. “We’ve gotten the locker room project done so there’s some improvements that are happening now under his watch.” 

Fans may recall last summer, when WSU athletics announced cuts to track and field. The decision removed all throwing and jumping events and scaled back short distance events. 

Despite the financial gains and fan improvement projects, Haarlow says that those cuts will not be revoked any time soon.   

“We’re still in the same place that we were resource wise last year when that decision was made,” Haarlow said. “Any additional revenue resources that we’ve gotten from the institution over the last couple of months restores us to where we were at this time last year… There won’t be any program adjustments at this time.” 

The financial focus is something that is at the forefront of Haarlow’s administration, not by choice, but by necessity. 

“Athletics is now big business,” he said. “It’s always been a business, but now more than ever… investing where necessary and then creating revenue strategies.” 

That approach is shared by Haarlow’s staff 

“The new world of college athletics demands that you invest, and that’s something that we’ve continued,” Corbin said. “We got [a] great investment from the university recently to be able to push us forward through this year.” 

Again, despite the investment from the university, track and field restoration is not on the horizon. However, with college athletics working increasingly as a business, Haarlow believes that WSU will fare well in the new Pac-12. 

“We have one of the largest living alumni bases compared to our new Pac-12 peers,” he said. “One of our biggest opportunities there is to activate all of those and that comes in several different ways.” 

This focus on the alumni base is something Haarlow has harped on repeatedly. Another idea that stems from that, is his focus on the Cougar brand. 

Many fans feel a declining connection with their sports teams. Rosters that feel like a revolving door, new coaching staffs and a lack of conference continuity make it difficult for fans to follow the Cougs.  

But, Haarlow insists, to steal a phrase from Herb Brooks, that the name on the front is more important than the name on the back. 

“The logo on the front of the chest or the helmet remains the Cougs,” he said. “The opponent set has changed, and maybe sometimes the players have changed, whether that’s through graduations or transfers or whatever it may be. But, the logo and the brand remains the same. I think that’s something that we can all rally around.” 

There are many uncertainties that follow Haarlow into his tenure. How will WSU fare in the new Pac-12? Will other programs get cut? Can the Cougs compete in the transfer portal? 

Even with all the questions, Haarlow is focused on his approach. 

“Passionate. [I’m] somebody that cares extraordinarily about our student athletes,” he said.  “Those that are here now, those that have come before [and] those that make the trip to Pullman… I’m passionate about what our opportunities are here.”