The New York Liberty's offseason moves are finally starting to settle into place as the team officially introduced its new head coach on Wednesday. Chris DeMarco spoke out on his desire to take the role during his first press conference and made it clear that he believes the Liberty are the perfect fit for him.
“I did just a little bit of research. It was a no-brainer that this is the best opportunity in the WNBA. A good championship franchise,” DeMarco said. “And this was what I wanted, and that's why I'm here right now.”
DeMarco is still serving in his current role as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, but that hasn't stopped him from diving headfirst into his upcoming position with the Liberty.
“In [the] free time [that] I have, [I've been] pouring into this, probably ordered every book on the New York Liberty,” DeMarco added. “I always watched as a fan, so now I have to shift my focus and watch as a coach. So there's a lot to go back and watch … to learn about the history of the WNBA.”
DeMarco's first official appearance as head coach was supported by Liberty players like Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Isabelle Harrison, and Nyara Sabally, who all attended the press conference in person. Even New York's general manager, Jonathan Kolb, expressed his excitement over DeMarco's approaching tenure, doubling down on the coach's belief that he will be an excellent fit for the Liberty given his 13 years of experience and four NBA titles with the Warriors.
“Chris possesses a rare combination of tactical savvy, emotional intelligence, as well as an unrelenting work ethic,” Kolb said. “That aligns well with our players.”
DeMarco plans to stay in California until January before heading to New York to start his offseason duties with the Liberty.
