The New York Liberty of the WNBA are hiring Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their new head coach, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (story via Alexa Philippou of ESPN.com).
DeMarco, who is also the current coach of the Bahamian men’s national team, had been with the Warriors since 2012, prior to Steve Kerr‘s arrival in 2014. Initially a member of Mark Jackson‘s staff, DeMarco has had a variety of roles since being hired by Golden State, working in the video room, as a scout, in player development positions, and as an assistant coach.
As Anthony Slater of ESPN tweets, DeMarco was a front-of-bench assistant this season and had a major hand in the Warriors’ defensive game-planning. He worked closely with Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole during their time with the team, per Philippou.
DeMarco was one of two current NBA assistants in the running for the Liberty job, along with Jama Mahlalela of the Raptors. Former Nets assistant Will Weaver was also among the finalists for the position, as was current Phoenix Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver, who was previously an assistant coach with the Wizards and Mavericks.
It’s unclear whether DeMarco will leave the Warriors immediately, given that WNBA training camps don’t open until April.