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Girl's Coach
The Los Angeles Sparks have named a new head coach and it's, surprise, Henry Bibby. LAist thinks this hire is bizarre to say the least.First off, Johnny Buss and the Sparks brain trust felt like they could wait until more than six months after the season ended to hire any head coach. This was after their bizarre "co-head coach" system led the Sparks to a first round playoff loss after Michael Cooper bolted for Denver.
Secondly, Henry Bibby is a jerk. This is well-documented. From being a lousy father to irrationally benching players in critical situations, Bibby has trouble understanding people. He likes to call this discipline and invoke John Wooden, but Bibby has no business pretending like he should command that kind of respect.
Still, Bibby has had some success at times in his coaching career, and LAist thinks this move by the Sparks will either be brilliant or a disaster. On the one hand, we expect Bibby to be "softened" by coaching a group of women who might be more likely to follow orders than the Craven twins. His disciplinary tactics might remind Chamique Holdsclaw of Pat Summitt from her Tennessee days, and help with her depression. Or it might just be further debilitating.
The Sparks are a Lisa Leslie-led team that has thrived under players coaches like Orlando Woolridge and Michael Cooper. Bringing in Henry Bibby, even if he's an "LA guy", might make headlines. But is this out-of-leftfield hire really the right one? LAist doubts it.
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