Chicago Sky hire Aces assistant coach Tyler Marsh as head coach

Before that, Marsh spent two years as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

“Tyler’s relentless work ethic, deep understanding of the game, and his ability to connect with players on a personal level set him apart,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in the team’s press release.

After hiring and firing first-time WNBA head coach Teresa Weatherspoon in an 11-month span, the Sky will once again have an inexperienced leader at the helm in 2025. Marsh has not been a head coach or a lead assistant at any level. 

However, Marsh arrives with deeper experience than Weatherspoon had. He won championships as an assistant coach with three organizations (the Aces, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NBA G League’s Rio Grande Valley) and has a more distinguished track record in player development.

For example, Aces All-Star and Olympian Jackie Young credits him with fixing her shot and helping her become an elite 3-point shooter. “[You] truly changed my career.. forever thankful for you,” she wrote to Marsh on the social media platform X after his hire was announced.

Maybe the best thing about Marsh’s hiring compared to Weatherspoon’s is the potential for long-term alignment. 

When the Sky’s head coach and general manager positions opened up in 2023, hiring a general manager first would have been logical. That person could have had a say in the head coach decision. But ownership filled the positions in the other order and ended up reversing course on Weatherspoon a year later. 

Given that second-year general manager Pagliocca hired Marsh himself, this decision should have more staying power. That is crucial for an organization that has struggled with consistency. Marsh will be the Sky’s fourth head coach in three years.

Marsh is a strong hire in a limited pool of candidates

At a time when demand for qualified WNBA head coaches likely outstrips supply, Marsh is a strong hire.

Five WNBA teams still have head coaching vacancies, and two premier targets were recently snatched up by other teams. The Indiana Fever hired former WNBA Coach of the Year Stephanie White, and the Golden State Valkyries hired the Aces’ first assistant, Natalie Nakase. 

The Sky’s remaining options outside of Marsh included former WNBA coaches and other accomplished assistants. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that former Los Angeles Sparks coach Curt Miller and former Dallas Wings coach Latricia Trammell were considered.

“We promised our fans that we would be very intentional with our next coaching hire, with the goal of being a playoff and championship contender every year,” Sky co-owner and operating chairman Nadia Rawlinson said in the team’s press release.

Marsh’s player development experience could elevate Sky

After finishing ninth last season, the Sky have a long way to go to become championship contenders. But player development can be one piece of the puzzle.

The Sky’s 2024 first-round draft picks, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, want to become the kind of positionless bigs that have dominated in the WNBA. And guard Chennedy Carter, a breakout star last season, could benefit from the improvement in 3-point confidence that helped Young.

In other words, Marsh will have plenty of opportunities to establish a strong reputation for player development in Chicago.

But a championship trajectory for the Sky will depend as much on Pagliocca’s ability to fill holes in the roster as it will on Marsh’s ability to mold talent. The Sky still need elite perimeter players to complement Carter on the wings.