Becky Hammon To Become Head Coach Of Las Vegas Aces

[RealGM Wiretap]

Becky Hammon is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. Hammon plans to remain with the San Antonio Spurs until their season is over.

Hammon played in the WNBA for 16 seasons.

Following retirement, Hammon took a job as an assistant with the Spurs, becoming the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA. 

Hammon has interviewed for a number of head coaching vacancies in the NBA.

Via Shams Charania, Chantel Jennings/The Athletic

[Laimbeer]

I think staying in the NBA, even as an assistant, is a better path to a NBA head coaching job.

[Future Coach]

I think staying in the NBA, even as an assistant, is a better path to a NBA head coaching job.

Of course RealGM left one of the key details out of their little summary....

Hammon's deal will be a record-setting contract for a WNBA head coach, sources said.

Not only is she in line to get a nice salary, she is increasing both the pay scale for coaches in the WNBA, and also the overall profile (news/media spotlight) of the women's basketball - which are very much so things she is interested in. She'll do well

[elmdawgg69]

This is a huge step down for Hammon. She had a much better shot at becoming HC of an NBA team as SA’s lead assistant.

[Pickled Prunes]

This is a huge step down for Hammon. She had a much better shot at becoming HC of an NBA team as SA’s lead assistant.

I disagree. She will now have "Head Coach" on her resume. That is an important distinction. She now has an opportunity to show what she can do in that role. She will have some pressure, too. The aces finished 1st in the West last season.

[dougthonus]

Hammon's deal will be a record-setting contract for a WNBA head coach, sources said.

Not only is she in line to get a nice salary, she is increasing both the pay scale for coaches in the WNBA, and also the overall profile (news/media spotlight) of the women's basketball - which are very much so things she is interested in. She'll do well

I'm not one to say what Becky Hammon's goals are, but this definitely seems like a step down in terms of prestige if she wants to continue to search for an NBA HC job. Popovich is widely expected to retire after this season, which means she has to have feedback that the Spurs job isn't going to go to her when he does (and that she may not even be desired back if a new head coach comes in).

There's no way that a WNBA gig would pay as much, even if it's record setting, as what she'd have gotten as the Spurs head coach had she been able to land that job.

I'm not sure this overall raises the profile of the WNBA at all. She was already a WNBA superstar, going back there feels like a rather large step back and feels like she no longer desired to try to make it in the NBA (maybe because she missed the WNBA or didn't think the NBA would ever work out, who knows).

I doubt she took a paycut to go to the WNBA, and I'm not sure her assistant salary with SA. Top assistants (and I believe she was now top of their chart) often go for 1M a year as assistants.

[dougthonus]

This is a huge step down for Hammon. She had a much better shot at becoming HC of an NBA team as SA’s lead assistant.

I disagree. She will now have "Head Coach" on her resume. That is an important distinction. She now has an opportunity to show what she can do in that role. She will have some pressure, too. The aces finished 1st in the West last season.

HC of WNBA isn't a path that really leads to NBA jobs, and for good reason:
- It's probably a lower level of basketball overall than 30+ other professional leagues
- Style of play is very different as are the sets / plays / skills of players varies more than those leagues as well
- Doesn't allow you to get to better know the personnel in the NBA or make NBA contacts and pushes you out of the circle of regular contact with NBA people

I would think being HC of a D1 Men's college program would be a much closer stepping stone, but still probably further away than being a lead assistant in the NBA.

If she wants to become an NBA head coach one day, her best bet was to get a different NBA head assistant job. There are probably some doubts (fair or unfair) that she may have landed her position partially due to Popovich's extremely progressive attitude. Getting a lead assistant job elsewhere (and being successful) would have expanded her NBA contacts, close circle, and improved her resume far more IMO.

[Pickled Prunes]

This is a huge step down for Hammon. She had a much better shot at becoming HC of an NBA team as SA’s lead assistant.

I disagree. She will now have "Head Coach" on her resume. That is an important distinction. She now has an opportunity to show what she can do in that role. She will have some pressure, too. The aces finished 1st in the West last season.

HC of WNBA isn't a path that really leads to NBA jobs, and for good reason:
- It's probably a lower level of basketball overall than 30+ other professional leagues
- Style of play is very different as are the sets / plays / skills of players varies more than those leagues as well
- Doesn't allow you to get to better know the personnel in the NBA or make NBA contacts and pushes you out of the circle of regular contact with NBA people

I would think being HC of a D1 Men's college program would be a much closer stepping stone, but still probably further away than being a lead assistant in the NBA.

If she wants to become an NBA head coach one day, her best bet was to get a different NBA head assistant job. There are probably some doubts (fair or unfair) that she may have landed her position partially due to Popovich's extremely progressive attitude. Getting a lead assistant job elsewhere (and being successful) would have expanded her NBA contacts, close circle, and improved her resume far more IMO.

Well, I agree with most of what you are saying, but I doubt she has been seriously considered for an NBA head coaching job thus far. We know Billups was a forgone conclusion in POR. There have been no reports of her being offered a Lead Assistant or a D1 job either. It sounds like she's going to get a bag of cash to take this job and we know an NBA HC job might never show up. If it does, she already has the requisite experience in the NBA. What GM's need to see is whether she can teach and lead. Just because WNBA coaches haven't traditionally made the leap to the NBA does not mean it couldn't/won't happen.

College coaches and Euroleague coaches don't have a great track record in the NBA, so why not the WNBA?

[dougthonus]

Well, I agree with most of what you are saying, but I doubt she has been seriously considered for an NBA head coaching job thus far. We know Billups was a forgone conclusion in POR.

Could be true.

There have been no reports of her being offered a Lead Assistant or a D1 job either. It sounds like she's going to get a bag of cash to take this job and we know an NBA HC job might never show up.

Well who knows if she is even looking in that direction (D1/Other assistant)

If it does, she already has the requisite experience in the NBA. What GM's need to see is whether she can teach and lead. Just because WNBA coaches haven't traditionally made the leap to the NBA does not mean it couldn't/won't happen.

She has extremely poor experience as an assistant to get a HC gig relative to other people who never played in the NBA. Most non former players have something like 20+ years as assistants or D1 coaches.

College coaches and Euroleague coaches don't have a great track record in the NBA, so why not the WNBA?

That seems like a better reason to think it won't work than that it will. Coaches with experience in different leagues don't translate well because what is required to succeed there is different.

[Pickled Prunes]

Well, I agree with most of what you are saying, but I doubt she has been seriously considered for an NBA head coaching job thus far. We know Billups was a forgone conclusion in POR.

Could be true.

There have been no reports of her being offered a Lead Assistant or a D1 job either. It sounds like she's going to get a bag of cash to take this job and we know an NBA HC job might never show up.

Well who knows if she is even looking in that direction (D1/Other assistant)

If it does, she already has the requisite experience in the NBA. What GM's need to see is whether she can teach and lead. Just because WNBA coaches haven't traditionally made the leap to the NBA does not mean it couldn't/won't happen.

She has extremely poor experience as an assistant to get a HC gig relative to other people who never played in the NBA. Most non former players have something like 20+ years as assistants or D1 coaches.

College coaches and Euroleague coaches don't have a great track record in the NBA, so why not the WNBA?

That seems like a better reason to think it won't work than that it will. Coaches with experience in different leagues don't translate well because what is required to succeed there is different.

Well, Hammond is not exactly like other Assistant coaches that didn't play in the NBA. She played professional Women's basketball at the highest level and excelled. It's not apples to apples, but she might be as close to having NBA playing experience as any woman ever will.

All of her coaching experience is in the NBA, so that's not like bringing in a coach from Europe or college. It might not look good when she's trying to get WNBA players to run NBA sets, but I think things translate down better than up.

Right or wrong, I honestly think there would be trust issues with a female HC. Imagine if Hammond were the Blazers HC right now instead of Billups. How long could she hold that locker room? I think she would have done a better job than Billups, but she would have been hearing a lot more crap than Billups is if she found herself in this same situation. I'm glad she avoided this. Stotts had them punching above their weight for years and no coach was going to come in and get this group to the third round. This was inevitable.

[dougthonus]

Well, Hammond is not exactly like other Assistant coaches that didn't play in the NBA. She played professional Women's basketball at the highest level and excelled. It's not apples to apples, but she might be as close to having NBA playing experience as any woman ever will.

That might be true, and it isn't likely to be close enough to be relevant. As a comparison, I would guess there are 30+ mens leagues around the world that have a play style more similar to the NBA than the WNBA does, and yet, playing experience in any of those doesn't count for anything meaningful.

A big reason why NBA experience counts is because:
- Deep familiarity with the league style / plays / sets
- Deep familiarity with coaching style of the league
- Deep familiarity with the players currently in the league
- Years of building contacts and relationships of existing coaches within the league
- NBA players make so much money that you often have to make them head coaches or not hire them at all because there is no need for them to work for 1M a year.

You simply don't get these advantages with people in other leagues.

All of her coaching experience is in the NBA, so that's not like bringing in a coach from Europe or college. It might not look good when she's trying to get WNBA players to run NBA sets, but I think things translate down better than up.

How many assistant to head coaches in the NBA have had only one job as an assistant in one organization? It's a really, really small number. Most assistant to head coaches have 3x her time in the system and have coaches at MANY places.

Right or wrong, I honestly think there would be trust issues with a female HC. Imagine if Hammond were the Blazers HC right now instead of Billups. How long could she hold that locker room? I think she would have done a better job than Billups, but she would have been hearing a lot more crap than Billups is if she found herself in this same situation. I'm glad she avoided this. Stotts had them punching above their weight for years and no coach was going to come in and get this group to the third round. This was inevitable.

Who knows, that would depend entirely on the players she is coaching. Assuming she is skilled, I think most players would accept her, but hard to say and certainly a risk for a hiring team.