Connecticut Sun Let Go Mike Thibault and all assistants

[psconn]

Jim Fuller ‏@NHRJimFuller
Just got off conference call with Connecticut Sun and they said that players did not call for Mike Thibault's removal

I just fumbled through all the player twitter accounts and could find no indication of happiness with this move. Lots of surprise and of course Kara's remark).

 

[mr006]

It was time, but sadly, you don't know what you are getting in the future, especially if they do not have a coach in mind already (maybe they do). Trade in a coaching staff of some good to very good teams with an outside chance at a championship (although as the years went by, it seemed obvious to me that they weren't going to ever get over the hump), and get back what? Time will tell. Just seems that a lot of times when this happens in sports, it's a parade of poor to mediocre successors; will have to keep the faith that the Sun will make a good choice.

 

[mr006]

The coach is passionate about winning...I just don't see that same passion on the part of everyone on the team.

Maybe, but a big part of a coaching staff's job is to transmit that passion to their team, and help the team develop and use it in a focused way. Unless the team is a bunch of passionless players (which would be the fault of the GM, I guess), it falls on the coaching staff.

 

[psconn]

Sorry to see Coach T go but I love that Sun management wants to put WINNING first. The easy way would have been to accept another good season and keep on keepin on.

I think that having Jen at the helm would put a few additional fannies in the seats (at least in the short term)... not many coaching selections would have that ability. I think the fans would LOVE her fire. She might also relate better to the players. I think there were signs that this was not always the case with Coach T (with Renee especially, but others too). She would need a WNBA-savvy asistant or two, I think... its a different world.

I wonder what Kara thinks (I bet she would LOVE Jen... two peas in a pod).

After absorbing the early (public) response from those close to the Sun. This is not looking like a great move. Its possible I misread the facial expressions and body language that I though indicated communication issues. DiMauro makes 2 points I have made to the Tibeault haters in the past... its hard to get great in the WNBA unless you are willing to really suck for a few years. Coach T never let that happen. Free agents aren't crazy about spending their summers in Uncasville... pretty dead outside the casino and unless you work for ESPN, not an exciting place to make a full time home. If Gruda and Torrens are here in 2013 (I assume replacing McCray and Greene) someone may reap the championship that Coach T has sewn. His international connections will have finally paid off.