The Nate Tibbetts hiring wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Especially for WNBA fans who believed that Tibbetts didn’t deserve to be the top-paid head coach in the league with no head coaching experience nor ever coaching professional women’s basketball.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Since the hire, social media has taken note of the hire and have put in their input on what they think about Tibbetts being the highest-paid coach in the sport.
Nate Tibbetts is a journeyman NBA assistant with zero experience in the women's game. @nrarmour writes 'The Phoenix Mercury decided to go full dumpster fire and confirm the news with a cringe-worthy post.' ⤵
🔗: https://t.co/wdn5SnWjAQ pic.twitter.com/flcHYRRAWe
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 19, 2023
Today, general manager Nick U’Ren as well as head coach Nate Tibbetts discussed the criticism that the organization has been receiving for the hiring of Tibbetts with no women’s coaching experience.
#Mercury GM Nick U’Ren and new head coach Nate Tibbetts talk about handling criticism of the new hire.#WNBA#ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/IQ5P6Lb3K4
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) October 20, 2023
Yesterday during a NCAA final four event Taurasi was helping give back to the community. She was asked about the new hiring of Tibbetts as well as his lack of women’s coaching experience and she brought up a familiar name that should get Mercury fans at the very least optimistic.
“I believe the last time we had an NBA head coach that had never coached women before by the name of Coach [Paul] Westhead, we won a championship.” Says Taursi. “I have pretty good experience in that realm.”
New Head Coach Nate Tibbetts Brings Breath of Fresh Air For the Mercury Franchise
Only time will tell if history repeats itself but when you have a woman like Diana Taurasi backing you up, that could only mean great things can be ahead for a franchise that desperately needs hope.
