Liberty hires Chris DeMarco, former Warriors assistant, as new HC

Chris DeMarco, New York Liberty’s New Coach

The New York Liberty have reached an agreement to hire Chris DeMarco as their new head coach. DeMarco, who served for a long time as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, will take the reins of the team in a move that seeks to revitalize the franchise. The terms of the agreement were finalized on Friday by Liberty executives and DeMarco’s agent, Brian Elfus. This signing represents a significant change for the team, which is looking for new strategies to compete in the WNBA. DeMarco, who has been with the Warriors since 2012, has held various roles, including assistant coach and player development coach. During his time in Golden State, he contributed to the conquest of four NBA titles. The coach has also been the head coach of the Bahamas men’s national basketball team since 2019, demonstrating his experience and leadership skills. Although DeMarco will be on the Warriors’ bench in the short term, he is expected to join the Liberty at some point this season. The exact date of his incorporation has not yet been determined. During his time with the Warriors, DeMarco managed the team’s defense and worked closely with key players like Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. Among the other candidates considered by the Liberty were Will Weaver, former assistant of the Brooklyn Nets; Kristi Toliver, former WNBA champion and current associate coach of the Phoenix Mercury; and Jama Mahlalela, assistant of the Toronto Raptors. The Liberty are one of the five WNBA teams that have made a head coach hiring this offseason. The contract of DeMarco’s predecessor, Sandy Brondello, expired in September. The Portland Fire (Alex Sarama) and the Seattle Storm (Sonia Raman) also chose coaches with NBA experience.

“We need to get this right,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in September, referring to hiring. “If we’re going to make a bold decision like this, our players deserve the best, and that’s why we’ll take the time we need.”

Jonathan Kolb

After winning their first WNBA championship in 2024, New York seemed capable of defending the title with a 9-0 start in 2025, before injuries affected stars like Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and others, resulting in the team’s elimination in the first round of the postseason. At the time of Brondello’s departure, Kolb stated that the franchise was seeking “evolution and innovation” and asked: “How do we position ourselves to be at the top of the league in a truly sustainable way as the league evolves?” Brondello, who was with the team for four seasons, has expressed that she believed the alignment between her and the Liberty’s management was not the right one, indicating a lack of collaboration. Subsequently, she was officially hired as the first coach of the Toronto Tempo. With most of the roster becoming free agents this offseason, pending a new collective bargaining agreement, New York only has two players under contract: veterans Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally. However, Kolb has expressed his “utmost confidence” that stars Stewart, Jones, and the 2020 draft’s number 1 pick, Sabrina Ionescu, will want to return to Brooklyn in 2026. Ionescu contacted Warriors star Steph Curry during the recruitment process to ask about DeMarco.