Connecticut's Mike Thibault Named 2008 WNBA Coach Of The Year

By the WNBA
Posted Saturday, September 20, 2008

SPM File photo of Mike Thibault by Sue Wilden.

NEW YORK – Connecticut Sun Head Coach Mike Thibault is the recipient of the 2008 WNBA Coach of the Year award presented by AOL.com, the WNBA announced today. Thibault received 24 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. San Antonio Silver Stars Head Coach Dan Hughes finished second with nine votes while Seattle’s Brian Agler placed third with five votes.

Thibault becomes the third WNBA coach to be named Coach of the Year multiple times, after previously winning in 2006. Hughes, who won the 2007 award, was the second to accomplish the feat having previously earned the honor in 2001 when he coached the Cleveland Rockers. Former Houston Comets Head Coach Van Chancellor was the recipient of the award each year from 1997-1999.

After an overhaul of the Sun’s roster in the offseason, Thibault opened the season with the third-youngest team in the league and a roster devoid of three of the top five scorers from the previous year. He steered the Sun to a three-game improvement over 2007, finishing with a record of 21-13 and earning the No. 2 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite carrying six rookies on the roster, the Sun jumped out to one of its hottest starts in franchise history, winning nine of the first 11 games.

Under Thibault, the Sun ranked third in the league in scoring, fifth in defense and tied for first in point differential. Connecticut was the first team to earn a 2008 postseason berth, which sealed their sixth-consecutive playoff appearance, all with Thibault at the helm. Throughout the year, Thibault slotted two rookies into the starting lineup in 25 games and even started three rookies once.

After taking over the Sun upon the franchise’s relocation to Connecticut in 2003, Thibault has guided them to six consecutive finishes above .500, including their first season with a winning record. In 2005 and 2006, Thibault’s Sun finished with 26 wins, more than any other Eastern Conference team in league history. In 2007, he became the third-fastest coach in WNBA history to win 100 regular season games. Over the course of his career, he holds a .623 winning percentage, fourth best all-time. In addition to his WNBA coaching duties, he was an assistant to Head Coach Anne Donovan on the gold-medal winning 2008 U.S. Women’s Basketball Olympic Team in Beijing.

Below are the voting results for 2008 WNBA Coach of the Year Award presented by AOL.com as well as a list of past recipients:

 

24 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun
9 Dan Hughes San Antonio Silver Stars
5 Brian Agler Seattle Storm
3 Jenny Boucek Sacramento Monarchs
2 Patty Coyle New York Liberty
2 Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock

 

2008 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun
2007 Dan Hughes San Antonio Silver Stars
2006 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun
2005 John Whisenant Sacramento Monarchs
2004 Suzie McConnell Serio Minnesota Lynx
2003 Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock
2002 Marianne Stanley Washington Mystics
2001 Dan Hughes Cleveland Rockers
2000 Michael Cooper Los Angeles Sparks
1999 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1998 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1997 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

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