New York Liberty hire Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as head coach

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The New York Liberty have hired Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

DeMarco has been with the Warriors for 13 years in a variety of positions, including player development coach and assistant, and helped the franchise win four NBA championships.

"After a thorough search, we could not be more thrilled to welcome Chris DeMarco as our head coach,” said Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb. “Throughout the process, our goal was clear: identify a leader who could elevate our culture, implement elite-level systems, and bring a modern vision for how to guide this franchise forward on the court.”

He's the latest WNBA hire with an NBA background, joining Alex Sarama (Portland) and Sonia Raman (Seattle), who were two of the five head coaches hired this offseason in the league.

“I’m incredibly honored to join the Liberty and proud to help carry forward the standard this franchise has set — excellence on the court and a strong connection to the community,” DeMarco said. “The chance to work with some of the greatest players in basketball, supported by an exceptional front office and ownership group, is the kind of opportunity every coach dreams of. I can’t wait to get started — building on the winning foundation and culture that make the New York Liberty so special.”

He’s the third coach that Kolb has hired in his six-year tenure with the Liberty. New York, like nearly every other team, has most of its roster as free agents, but Kolb said after the season he expected the core of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones back.

The Liberty let Sandy Brondello go soon after their loss in the first round of the WNBA playoffs this past season. She helped guide the team to its first WNBA championship in 2024. She was recently hired by the Toronto expansion team.

DeMarco has been the Bahamian national team coach since 2019. Jones hails from that island nation. He has been a part of all four of the Warriors championships.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball