Utah State parted ways with women's basketball head coach Kayla Ard following Sunday's loss in the Mountain West conference tournament. Ard broke the news of her firing to members of the media during her postgame press conference following Sunday's 85-49 loss at the hands of Boise State.
This is crazy! After the Utah State women lost tonight, coach Kayla Ard was asked how they rebuild next season - and she says she just got fired. Never seen anything like this.
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) March 11, 2024
"I'm assuming that's going to be the last question?"
(Video courtesy of The Mountain West) pic.twitter.com/j9yjcMAbjD
"I'm not going to be rebuilding," Ard said when she was asked about how she'd be rebuilding the program. "I just coached my last game at Utah State. I spoke with Diana (Sabau), and they're going in a different direction, and I respect her decision and I hope they get a really good coach in.
"I'm assuming that's going to be the last question?" she added.
Utah State won a total of nine games over the past two seasons under Ard's leadership as the program had a 24-90 record. The Aggies finished the 2023-24 season with a 5-25 (2-16 Mountain West) record and lost nine of their last 10 games to end the campaign.
"We appreciate everything Kayla and her staff have contributed to Utah State," athletic director Diana Sabau said in a statement. "However, it is in the best interest of the program to make a change."
The Aggies dropped 62 of the program's 72 games in Mountain West play over the past two seasons.
