New Orleans Pelicans Hire Teresa Weatherspoon, Making Her The Eighth Full-Time Female NBA Coach
Former WNBA star and Louisiana Tech coach Teresa Weatherspoon has officially been named the eighth full-time female assistant coach in the NBA.
On Monday (November 16), the 54-year-old was promoted by New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy to full-time assistant coach. She was previously a two-way player development coach for the team.
According to ESPN, the other full-time female coaches include Brittni Donaldson, Lindsay Gottlieb, Jenny Boucek, Becky Hammon, Sonia Raman, Lindsey Harding, and Natalie Nakase.
“I am excited about our coaching staff,” Van Gundy said in a statement. “We have a great mix of background, experience, perspective, and expertise."
Weatherspoon took to her Instagram account to celebrate the news. She shared a photo of herself smiling and the caption, “Nobody can remove you or take your place when God has solidified and glorified your position and destination. So grateful to be on this journey with @pelicansnba. Let's gooooooooooo #AlwaysSmiling #Favor #Grace #AllForYou #WontBowDown #GoPels."
Weatherspoon played at Louisiana Tech from 1984-1988 and helped lead the team to their second NCAA Championship, She then played in Italy, France, and Russia.
In 1997, Weatherspoon joined the New York Liberty and played with the team for eight seasons. She played her final season for the Los Angeles Sparks before retiring in 2004. A five-time WNBA All-Star, Weatherspoon was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
In 2009, Weatherspoon coached for her alma mater, Louisiana Tech, and coached the Lady Techsters to a 99-71 record over six seasons. Last year, the Pelican hired Weatherspoon as a two-way player development coach.
Weatherspoon's hiring comes just days after Kim Ng was hired by the Miami Marlins as the first female general manager in professional sports.
