Sunday’s loss to Boise State marked the end of a disappointing season for the Utah State women’s basketball program. It also marked the end of coach Kayla Ard’s time with the Aggies.
Utah State finished tied for last in the Mountain West Conference this year at 2–16 and went 5–25 overall. The Aggies were blown out by the Broncos in the first round of the MWC tournament in Las Vegas on Sunday, 85–49, to close out their fifth straight losing season.
After the game, Ard was asked in a press conference how she planned to rebuild next season. But the coach instead informed the assembled media that she had just been told she was fired.
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. I just coached my last game at Utah State,” Ard said. “I just spoke with [athletic director] Diana [Sabau], 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,” Ard said before leaving the podium.
Ard spent four seasons in charge at Utah State, going 24–90 overall. Her best season was in 2021–22, when the Aggies went 11–19. In each of the other three seasons, the team failed to win more than five games. Two of Utah State’s nine wins in the past two seasons came against NAIA schools. The team ranked in the bottom 30 nationally this season in both points scored and allowed.
Utah State has never qualified for the women’s NCAA tournament and has only had six winning seasons in its history. The program was discontinued in 1987 for budgetary reasons and only reinstated in 2003 as the school looked to join an FBS football conference.
