MARCH 27: Hammon has turned down Florida’s offer and will remain with the Spurs, sources tell Mike Robinson of Swish Appeal.
MARCH 24: Spurs assistant coach and WNBA legend Becky Hammon is considering a lucrative offer to coach women’s basketball at the University of Florida, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Per Wojnarowski, Hammon’s offer would be a considerable raise from her current salary with the Spurs.
Currently in her third year as an assistant coach, Hammon aspires to be the NBA’s first female head coach; a factor which makes the Gators’ offer a dilemma.
Hammon’s 16-year WNBA career reached a conclusion after the 2014 season. David Lee, a member of the Spurs who attended University of Florida, vouched for Hammon as a potential boon for the program.
“If anybody’s going to do it, it would be her,” Lee told ESPN. “Knowing the makeup of the campus and how the women’s basketball is there, she’d be a great fit.”
Likely further complicating Hammon’s decision is her close relationship with Gregg Popovich. Hammon has spoken highly of the three-time Coach of the Year, crediting him with her opportunity to coach in the NBA.
“I’m not here unless Coach Pop kind of sees me genderless — he sees me as a person that knows basketball,” Hammon said on the NBA’s YouTube channel. “He didn’t care that I was a woman. What he cared about was, can I help the team and will I do a good job. Pop leaned in for me, big time. You know, I might have been the tool, but Pop, he thrust me through that ceiling. The fact that he invited me into their inner-circle was a huge vote of confidence, and I do believe leadership knows no gender.”
50% if pop’s assistants become a head coach some time during their career, if not more. Whether they hold the job is another story, but her best chance to coach in the NBA is to stay where she is for a while. But she might want to take the opportunity because she is familiar with the campus, and would be a head coach for a pretty good women basketball program and would get more money. While it’s sad to say, because she is a woman there is a strong chance a nba team might not ever hire as a head coach, so this might be the best offer she could get. I hope the best for her on whatever she decides, because she is a great coach and a big part of the Spurs organization.
The narrative is that she wouldn’t be able to handle the personalities and deal with the locker room part of stuff…but I would echo what you said about her having a chance being on that coaching staff. I think she will get an NBA opportunity at some point. It’s going to have to take that 1 person that takes a chance to break through that barrier. Honestly, regardless of that though, of the UF offer is crazy good, she probably shpuld take it. If things aren’t to her liking, I wouldn’t put it past pop to bring her back on his staff if/when she becomes available
I hope she gets the head coaching opportunity in the future. She would probably do a lot better than some of the current NBA coaches.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she staying to see if the Spurs will give her a shot once pops done
She can do it, remember that movie Armageddon?? And the female astronaut is teaching the guys how to walk on the asteroid? It’ll be just like that, no nonsense, knows her stuff
Lol she actually thinks she will coach a REAL NBA team AHAHAH. That team would be a complete mess and plus she will probably get emotional and quit after the first month.
Most ignorant comment award goes to you. Congrats.
I for one am sick and tired of segregated sports. Men and women should be playing together. When we got segregated leagues it was because women couldn’t keep up with the men, and that is no longer true. When the segregation started women had to train to play a sport against men who spent their entire lives playing the sport. Now women start sports at the same age as men, and any kid who was in a co-ed league knows women are plenty athletic to play with men. I’m not talking 50% of the team must be women or minorities. I’m talking anyone who is good enough is on the team. If it’s all men it’s all men, if a team is all women it’s all women. Getting a qualified woman coach would be a boon for sports, and Hammon fits the bill. Now, when is that female baseball star go8ng to declare for the draft, I know she’s young but I can’t be the only one excited for it.
A women would get man handled in the NBA and as far as athleticism you got 6’9 girls who can’t even dunk
Lol ! I hope you’re joking