A huge shake-up in the Washington Mystics organization was announced Wednesday, as the franchise said it has «mutually agreed to part ways» with general manager Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault. «After extensive reflection and conversation, we have decided we are at a point in our competitive and evolutionary cycle to turn the team over to new leadership with a renewed vision to carve our path into the future of WNBA basketball,» Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger said in a statement.
Mike Thibault, the winningest coach in league history with 379 career wins, first joined the organization as the general manager and head coach ahead of the 2013 season, ultimately leading the Mystics to their franchise-first championship in 2019.
Under Mike, the Mystics made eight postseason appearances, including back-to-back Finals runs in 2018 and 2019. Prior to his time in Washington, Mike had extensive coaching experience in the NBA, World Basketball League and Continental Basketball Association, starting in the WNBA as the head coach of the Connecticut Sun (2003-12).
He also has extensive coaching experience with USA Basketball, most recently serving as an assistant on Cheryl Reeve's staff for the 2024 Paris Olympics. «Coach Mike elevated the Mystics program to its proud status as a league leader in innovation, the standard-bearer in player care, and a model franchise,» Winger said. «He built and coached the Championship team, developed high-performing players, and pioneered many of the processes teams use today in building rosters and organizations.