Jose Fernandez has strong Florida ties. He attended college in the state and lives there with his family. Photo: Tim Cowie/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Dallas Wings have hired a longtime NCAA women's basketball coach to be their head coach.
The big picture: JoseFernandez turned around the University of South Florida women's basketball program after becoming its head coach 25 years ago.
Now he will aim to rebuild the Wings, who finished last season with one of the WNBA's worst records.
Context: The Wings fired their previous head coach, Chris Koclanes, last month. He was with the team for only one season.
State of play: Fernandez is well regarded by fans and rivals. He led the USF Bulls to four conference championships and 10 NCAA tournaments.
He's also president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Earlier this year, he was an assistant coach for Team USA at the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup.
"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose to realize a professional dream, and we are incredibly proud of him," Rob Higgins, USF Athletics' CEO, said in a statement on X.
The intrigue: Fernandez is close friends with UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who won an NCAA championship with Wings star Paige Bueckers.
In an interview earlier this year, Auriemma described Fernandez as a "tremendous coach" who cares deeply about the game.
What's next: The WNBA is expected to host a lottery later this year to determine the 2026 draft order.
