UW fires baseball coach Knutson

Ken Knutson arrived to work Monday at the University of Washington like he had for nearly the past two decades as the school's baseball coach. At 51, he has spent most of his adult life as a Husky player, assistant or head coach.

He knew UW administrators and fans had become discontented with the team, which finished the season 25-30, 13-14 in the Pac-10 and missed the postseason for a fifth consecutive year.

But Knutson, the school's leader in coaching wins, had no idea his 27-year tenure with Washington would end after a morning meeting with athletic director Scott Woodward.

"It was a complete surprise," said Knutson, who was fired after 17 seasons as head coach. "I went to the start of our baseball camp at the U-Dub with the idea that it was the same day as every other day. Then there was a meeting, some dialogue and there has been some introspection about where I'm at with my career and where the program is at. And so here we are. I'm out."

Knutson didn't have a chance to privately notify players before the school made an announcement Monday afternoon and a school spokesman said a coaching search will begin immediately.

"Ken loyally served the University as a player, an assistant coach and head coach for more than a quarter of a century," Woodward said. "For that, we appreciate his contribution to the Husky baseball program. However, we have a number of upcoming program and facility improvements and we felt the program would be better served under new leadership."

Several factors likely contributed to Knutson's firing, including the rise of Northwest rival Oregon State (which won NCAA College World Series titles in 2006 and 2007), the success of the UW national championship softball team, scholarship limitations and an inferior stadium and training conditions compared to conference powerhouses Arizona State and Stanford.

Washington is ready to begin Husky Ballpark renovations, including the construction of a clubhouse, concessions stands and restroom facilities, said Knutson, a longtime advocate for stadium improvements.

"We're the only BCS school without a stadium and until that happens, you can't compete on the national stage," he said. "My greatest disappointment is I never got the stadium built the way we wanted. I know I can't write the checks and I've had great support from some alums, but we needed the university or the state or somebody to get the facility up to par."

Ultimately, Knutson admitted, he's responsible for his dismissal.

"We haven't been good enough," he said. "Our wins and losses haven't been up to my standard or the university's. I can make a lot of reasons and excuses for it, but at the end of the day, it's up to me. I'm the guy."

A 1981 graduate of Washington, Knutson took over as head coach in 1993 and compiled a 584-399-2 overall record. He was 240-189 against Pac-10 opponents. Knutson was named Pac-10 North Division Coach of the Year three times and he led Washington to back-to-back conference titles in 1997 and '98, four division championships and six appearances in the NCAA tournament.

Knutson had 76 players selected in the major league draft, including 2008 National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

"He's the one who kept me, outside of my own wants and needs, close to home when I was deciding between three schools: Oregon State, Washington State and Washington," Lincecum told reporters in Oakland, Calif., on Monday. "He kind of let me do my thing, which is what a lot of coaches let me do. A lot of good things happened from that with the freedom I had.

"He was awesome and he's a great person."

Knutson is unsure what he'll do next.

"I have a [baseball training] facility in Woodinville and I'll work at that ... and I'll spend more time with my kids," he said. "It's still kind of new. This morning I was the coach and now I'm not. So we'll see what's next."

The Associated Press contributed.