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Led by former No.1 overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu and veteran stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, the New York Liberty have been one of the WNBA’s elite teams over the last few seasons.
Although their roster boasted star talent, the Liberty endured a disappointing 2025 campaign, resulting in the firing of head coach Sandy Brondello. On Friday, they named longtime Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as Brondello’s replacement.
New York Liberty Hire Chris DeMarco As Head Coach
Given the high-profile nature of the firing, Kolb and the Liberty knew they had to get their next hire right.
“We need to nail this,” Kolb told reporters in September, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “If we’re going to make a bold decision like this, our players deserve to get the best, and so we’ll take the time necessary.”
The Liberty believes they did just that in hiring Warriors assistant Chris Demarco. Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report the move.
The New York Liberty have agreed on a deal to hire Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their new head coach, sources tell ESPN. DeMarco has been with the Warriors since 2012, winning four NBA titles. He also serves as head coach of the Bahamian men’s national team. pic.twitter.com/GsQC66f6iV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2025
DeMarco began as a Warriors assistant in 2012 under Mark Jackson. When Jackson was fired and Steve Kerr was hired in 2014, DeMarco stayed on staff.
During his tenure, he helped the Warriors win four NBA titles. DeMarco was appointed head coach of the Bahamas men’s national basketball team in 2019.
DeMarco began his coaching career as an assistant with the Warriors in 2012 under head coach Mark Jackson, and was retained when Steve Kerr took over in 2014. During his time in the Bay Area, he helped the Warriors win four NBA titles (also mentioned above).
He became head coach of the Bahamas men’s national team in 2019. Keeping the Liberty at the top of the league is going to be no easy task. The Liberty had injuries to Stewart and Jones last season. With a new CBA on the horizon, the Liberty was also have to hold on to their stars in Ionescu, Jones and Stewart. In short, DeMarco has his work cut out for him.
Why Did the New York Liberty Fire Sandy Brondello?
The Liberty reached the WNBA finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Las Vegas in 2023 and defeating Minnesota in five games to win their first title in 2024.
They went 32-8 both seasons, but dropped to 27-17 in 2025 and lost in the first playoff round to Phoenix. That led to Brondello’s firing.
The Liberty thanked Brondello in a statement from General Manager Jonathan Kolb.
“Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship. We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter.”
Brondello, who played for the Detroit Shock, Miami Sol, and Seattle Storm, also coached the San Antonio Silver Stars, Phoenix Mercury, and the Australian national team.
Brondello holds a career regular-season record of 269-181 and a postseason mark of 40-32. With the Liberty, she went 107-53 in four seasons and 16-11 in the postseason.
That still wasn’t enough for the Liberty. Brondello wasn’t out of a job long – she has already been named head coach of the WNBA’s newest team, the Toronto Tempo. They are scheduled to begin play in 2026.
