The Dallas Wings are moving on from Chris Koclanes.
The Wings fired their head coach officially on Tuesday afternoon, ending his tenure with the franchise after a single season. Koclanes led the Wings to just a 10-34 record, which was tied for the worst record in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky, and they missed the playoffs for a second straight campaign.
“On behalf of the Dallas Wings, I want to thank Chris for his many and immediate contributions to the organization this past season,” general manager Curt Miller said in a statement. “With new team facilities being built, a youthful roster under contract, and the rights to three first round draft selections over the next two seasons, including a lottery pick in 2026, the Wings are well-positioned for future success. As we enter a pivotal point in our team’s future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization. The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court.”
Koclanes was hired last offseason to replace Latricia Trammell, which marked his first head coaching job in the league after several stints as an assistant coach. But the Wings lost 11 of 12 games to start the season and struggled the entire way despite landing former UConn star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft this past spring. Bueckers averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists this summer while earning Rookie of the Year honors.
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The Wings will now search for their fifth head coach in the last eight seasons. No head coach has lasted longer than two years in Dallas since Fred Williams was fired during the 2018 campaign. Miller, who previously coached the Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun before taking the Wings’ general manager job, had worked with Koclanes and hired him as his defensive coordinator at both teams. Both Miller and Koclanes joined the Wings last year.
Koclanes is now the third head coach in the WNBA who has been fired this fall. The Seattle Storm split with Noelle Quinn, and the New York Liberty parted ways with Sandy Brondello.
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