Washington reportedly targets DeAndre Haynes for Danny Sprinkle assistant opening

The University of Washington men’s basketball staff may be taking a meaningful step toward reshaping its coaching bench for the 2026-27 season. Multiple reports indicate that UW is planning to add DeAndre Haynes, a veteran assistant coach most recently associated with Marquette, to head coach Danny Sprinkle’s third-year staff. As of publication of this report, Washington has not issued an official confirmation.

Haynes brings more than a decade of experience as a coach at the NCAA Division I level. According to reporting circulated in the last day, he coached through five seasons at Marquette and has held assistant or similar coaching roles at a range of programs, including stints at Maryland, Michigan, Toledo and Kent State. He is also a former Kent State player, which figures in how assistants often build recruiting and player development pipelines in the Midwest and beyond.

The timing matters. Washington’s interest in Haynes comes in the context of a broader staff transition that has affected the Huskies since the end of the season. Separate reporting has connected UW’s offseason personnel work to a vacancy left by a prior assistant’s departure, with Washington still filling out its full-time coaching structure while the program continues to evaluate its roster needs for next year.

At Marquette, Haynes’ tenure included four NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 run during that span, per RoundtableSports reporting. That type of experience tends to be attractive to coaches recruiting and developing players in high-pressure conference settings, especially for programs that need the staff to be fluent in scouting, game preparation and in-game adjustments against Big Ten competition. Reporting also described that Marquette and Haynes ended their time together after five seasons, with neither side immediately making the change a headline for several weeks, a pattern that sometimes occurs when coaching changes are still being finalized or when contracts and responsibilities are in the closing stages.

For Sprinkle, adding an experienced assistant like Haynes could help align the staff’s responsibilities across recruiting, player development and day-to-day preparation. Assistants can also shape how a team builds its offensive and defensive habits, including personnel development for guards and wings, scouting detail and film coordination, and practice planning for matchups in league play. Without an official staff title and specific role from UW, it is still unclear exactly where Haynes will plug into the Huskies’ coaching assignments.

Even with the strong pedigree suggested by the reporting, this is still a development to watch rather than a finalized roster item. University athletic departments typically move carefully on public announcements during hiring windows, and the reports differ on how the vacancy was being described and how the hire will be formally structured. UW’s official athletics communications, and any statement that identifies Haynes’ exact title and responsibilities, will be the clearest next checkpoint.