Seattle sports landscape transformed: A dramatic 1st quarter of change in 2024

SEATTLE — With March officially over, we're done with the first quarter of 2024.

As crazy as it might be to think about how quickly the time passes, Seattle sports can claim something even more dramatic: The complete changing of the sports landscape in so many ways.

Think about it.

Back when you were celebrating New Year's Day watching the Huskies in the Sugar Bowl, the Kraken in the Winter Classic and the Seahawks in their final week, who knew the massive upcoming changes for each team.

Without a doubt, the craziest shift has been in college sports, specifically for Washington. The Husky football coach, men's basketball coach and athletic director from Jan. 1 are no longer in their post.

Kalen DeBoer left UW football for Alabama on Jan. 12, less than a week after his Huskies played Michigan for the national title. Jedd Fisch was plucked from Arizona to replace DeBoer.

Mike Hopkins and UW men's hoops parted ways earlier this month, and Danny Sprinkle was introduced as the new coach last week.

Troy Dannen was only five months into the AD job when he left earlier in March. Washington State AD Pat Chun was announced as his replacement last week.

Speaking of WSU, it also lost its men's basketball coach Kyle Smith went to Stanford last week.

In total, among football and men's basketball coaches, and ADs at UW and WSU, only Cougs football coach Jake Dickert remains in the same job he had on Jan. 1.

That's an eventful year so far, 25% through the calendar.

Because, in addition to the college changes which were most prevalent, we saw the end of an era with the Seahawks. Pete Carroll and the Hawks parted ways on Jan. 10, something we knew would happen some day, just not in that same month. While we're waiting to see what this new era looks like, Mike Macdonald takes the reins and is putting his stamp on the franchise.

The Kraken started the year on Jan. 1 with a resounding win in the Winter Classic over Las Vegas. It was a win that inspired hope in the midst of a nine-game win streak, only for a nearly equal losing streak at a critical stretch taking down the postseason dream.

The OL Reign is now the Seattle Reign, and the Sounders began a new era in their anniversary season.

It's all so new and about the only thing that has stayed the same is the Mariners pitching staff still being one of the best in baseball.

There's been enough landmark sports stories to last a year or more all crammed into the first three months of 2024.

And we're only 25% through this thing?

Might we hear crazier stories before the year is done, perhaps the return of the Sonics?

Don't discount it.