The Dallas Wings have hired a new head coach, Chris Cochrans. Chris Cochrans is an assistant at the University of Southern California and previously served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Wings. WNBA Spent 8 years under Kurt Miller. Cocranes has been an integral part of the coaching staff, helping lead JuJu Watkins and the Trojans to an 11-1 record earlier this year.
After a long search, Miller, who is currently the Wings' general manager, chose someone he is familiar with for the head coaching role. Cocranes will take his place. Latricia Trammellwas fired after two seasons in Dallas.
Chris Cochran's coaching career spans both the WNBA and NCAA
Cocranes has an extensive coaching background, but has yet to serve as a head coach. He was Miller's longtime defensive coordinator with both the Los Angeles Sparks (2023) and Connecticut Sun (2016-2022). The Sparks had the league's third-best defense under Cocranes, but the Sun consistently finished in the top three. He is currently in his second season as an assistant under Lindsey Gottlieb at USC, where he has an 11-1 record on the year.
USC is led by standout rookie JuJu Watkins, who averages 24.8 points and 5.8 rebounds and is one of the best players in the country. Mr. Cocranes has spoken highly of Mr. Watkins throughout his tenure. In April, he expressed his belief that the star guard was ready for the WNBA. Thuc Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times
“To be completely honest, I think she could come off the bench and be a spark plug for someone right now,” Kokranes said. “She's going to have to adapt because going from high school to college and college to pro, the speed and physicality level is completely different. But she's already adjusted here, so I'm sure she'll have to adapt. You can do that.”
It's time for a change for the Wings, who finished with a 9-31 record last season, the second-worst record in the WNBA. Dallas won last month's draft lottery and will have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, and it is widely anticipated who will be selected. university university Star Paige Backers. (Watkins has two more years of college play after this season, but has expressed a desire to enter the draft early if the rules change).
Sato Sabally and Natasha Howard are both unrestricted free agents, and Arike Ogunbowale has been a cornerstone of the team in recent seasons.
Kurt Miller previously said the coaching search would be extensive, helped by the fact that Dallas had the No. 1 overall pick.
“Through an extensive search and interview process, Chris continued to rise to the top and continue to check off our key pillars,” Miller said in a statement. press release. “He is a servant leader who values connection, collaboration, and a positive and consistent communication style with everyone he coaches. Chris is a great teacher of the game and has a great basketball IQ. . He is passionate about player development and has a forward-thinking and innovative mindset for the game. He is a tireless worker who has built his foundation through preparation.”
Cocranes said he is excited about the opportunity to take on the head coaching role in Dallas.
“I look forward to working with the owners, front office and players to create a sustainable championship culture that is felt on and off the floor and in our community,” Cocranes said. “As we continue to take the WNBA to new heights, we are excited to support and empower women in this league.”
