NEW YORK — Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb emphasized the decision to part ways with head coach Sandy Brondello “was in no way punitive, nor was it reactive, but it’s instead rooted in being proactive.”
And Kolb, who spoke to reporters for nearly 45 minutes Thursday, stated that he felt Brondello did “a good job” navigating the Liberty through “uncharted waters,” but felt a change was needed to stay modern in an ever-changing WNBA landscape.
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“This decision comes after a thorough examination of what the New York Liberty need as we move forward into a future of an ever-evolving WNBA,” said Kolb, who added that the decision also wasn’t based solely on the result of last week’s first-round playoff exit. “Very serious thought and consideration was made to retaining Sandy, but ultimately we determined that evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time.”
Brondello exited the franchise as its coaching wins leader (107-53 record) after four seasons with the franchise. She led a superteam roster to back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances, including last year’s first-ever title win after a thrilling five-game series win against the Minnesota Lynx.
“Sandy Brondello will always be remembered here as the first coach to win a championship for the New York Liberty, and what she accomplished here is not only everlasting, but it’s necessary for us to evolve into what is next,” Kolb said.
The general manager added that Brondello’s husband and assistant, Olaf Lange, won’t return to the team next season.
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A decision hasn’t been made yet for the remaining members of the team’s coaching staff.
Ultimately, Kolb, who hired Brondello in 2022, is searching for a new head coach that’ll keep the Liberty — and its players — evolving with the league.
“I think that the game is changing rapidly. I honestly don’t even know it’s the same league as in 2023,” he said.
Kolb doesn’t want to put a timeline on when a new coach needs to be hired, but the franchise “would love that to be on the sooner end of things …”
Candidates seemingly won’t need WNBA experience, as Kolb doesn’t want to limit the franchise’s scope in its current search.
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In recent years, some WNBA coaching hires — Chicago’s Tyler Marsh, Phoenix’s Nate Tibbets and Golden State’s Natalie Nakase (2025 Coach of the Year) — have had experience on NBA staffs as assistants. With the team casting a wide net in the search, there’s a possibility New York’s next hire could also have NBA experience in some capacity.
“I don’t think we want to limit our scope on a candidate. I don’t,” the GM said.
The team isn’t currently working with a search firm, but that “could change” during the process.
“I think that we want to have a really diverse pool of candidates to speak with,” Kolb said. “I also think these are opportunities for organizations to learn about ourselves from candidates. So we’re excited about the opportunity.”
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The GM declined to disclose specific qualities of what the team is looking for in a head coach.
“What I will tell you is we have a very clear vision of what we are looking for, and we are very confident that we will find that,” Kolb said. “I think that ultimately, when we find the person to sit in a leadership seat there, we will have a forum like this where we can talk about all the qualities of that person.”
Both sides of the ball are changing in the WNBA and it’s affecting how front offices construct staffs, rosters and personnel in their respective buildings. The GM mentioned his starting lineup’s offensive, defensive and net ratings from the past two seasons were “eerily similar,” yet the Liberty’s offensive ranking dropped in 2025.
“And to me, that’s indicative to a changing league,” Kolb said.
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He pointed out that issues during the 2025 season — not considering the countless injuries that wrecked the campaign — have been the same issues prior.
The need to be “adaptable,” and “bulletproof” in the WNBA’s changing landscape were points made on Thursday.
He noted the scouting report on the Liberty has been “probably to be incredibly physical with us. It’s probably to push us out on the perimeter, and it’s probably be really, really physical. And I feel like our spacing has been an issue for us.”
Indeed, those flaws showed throughout the season and during the first-round series against the Mercury as Phoenix never shied away from constant point of attack pressure.
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“I think that we tend to stagnate as the clock winds down on the pressure mounts and we go east west a tremendous amount,” he said. “Some of that could be personnel based. We have to really look at that. But in terms of being innovative, I think that our spacing principles are things that we want to really lean into.”
The team’s 2025 version took huge steps back defensively especially on the glass, per Kolb.
The next Liberty head coach will be tasked to assist putting together a suitable roster to stay relevant in those regards while keeping the team among the best in various metrics.
