Washington State fires baseball coach

PULLMAN — Washington State University has fired baseball coach Donnie Marbut after 11 seasons.

“Though Donnie and his staff have worked hard over the past 11 years it is my feeling that a change in leadership at this time was necessary to get Cougar baseball back to a position of prominence,” WSU athletic director Bill Moos said in statement.

Marbut compiled a 314-304 record at Washington State. That’s the third-most wins in program history behind Bobo Brayton and Buck Bailey.

This season he guided the Cougars to a 29-27 mark, 11-19 in Pac-12 play. That’s the most wins by the program since the Cougars were 37-22 in 2010. Marbut led the Cougars to two postseason appearances, in 2009 and 2010.

Marbut joined the Cougars coaching staff as an assistant in 2004, helping guide the team to a 29-26 record, WSU’s first winning campaign since 1998. One year later, he was named head coach by then-athletic director Jim Sterk.

Prior to joining the WSU staff, Marbut served as the head baseball coach at Edmonds Community College from 2000-2003. He earned Northwest Athletic Association of Community College Northern Division Coach of the Year honors in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and twice was named NWAACC Coach of the Year.

Moos said he expects to name a new coach “as soon as possible.”