SEATTLE (AP) — Mike Hopkins watched the NCAA Tournament tinged with the slightest bit of jealousy. He saw coaches he had come to know — Chris Collins at Northwestern specifically — who had left behind stable careers as an assistant coach and took the leap to being a head coach.
It drove home the idea that Hopkins wanted the chance to create something himself, rather than trying to sustain what had previously been built. So when Washington came calling late last week with the opportunity at reconstructing the Huskies' program, Hopkins' interest peaked like no opportunity presented to him before.