Liberty GM Explains Decision to Part Waysโฃ with Championship-Winning Coach Sandy Brondello
NEW YORK – New Yorkโ Liberty Generalโ Manager Jonathan Kolb revealed the reasoning behind the teamS decisionโ to fire head coach Sandyโฃ Brondello, a year after leading the franchise โto its first WNBA championship. Kolb stated the โmove, following a Game โ3 โloss, was made to inject “freshness adn an energy” into a team anchored by stars Breanna Stewart, โฃSabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, and to continue “pushing theโข New York โคLiberty to new โheights.”
Players initially backed Brondello after the defeat,โฃ but kolb emphasized the need for a shiftโ in leadership. He explained the Libertyโ areโ taking their time in the search for a replacement, possessing โa “very clear vision” of theโ qualities they seek in anโค ideal candidate, though specifics were withheld โto avoid โmisinterpretation.
Kolb highlighted โthe importance of a coachโ with aโ strong understanding โofโ “modern basketballโ principles on both sides of the ball.” Sources indicate the Liberty are considering โคcandidatesโข with โNBA experience,and Kolb confirmed prior WNBA coaching โexperience isn’tโ a requirement.โ “I don’t think we want to limit our scope onโ a candidate,” he said.โฃ “We want to have aโฃ really diverse pool of โcandidatesโฃ to speak with.”
The Liberty coaching position is viewed as an attractive opportunity dueโ to theโข team’s recentโค success and the ownership’s commitment to investment.โ The institution boasts a larger front office staff, a focus on player experience, โฃand is currently constructing a 75,000-square-foot practice facility โฃslated to open in โ2027.
Kolb notedโข a notable shift in the WNBA coaching landscape. โข”Candidates are now looking at this league not as a โขstepping stone but as a destination,” heโ said, addingโข that the candidate pool is “vast.”
Brondello leaves as the Liberty’s all-time winningest coach and the first to deliver a WNBA titleโ to โthe franchise. Kolb acknowledged her impact, stating, “I actually think Sandy did a good job navigating this group through uncharted waters, through injuries and a lack of availability, and we’ve got a great level of gratitude for โSandy Brondello theโข head coach.”
Ultimately, the Liberty are seeking โขaโข new voice to guide the team into its next chapter.
