Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes reacts against the Golden State Valkyries. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Insider admits Dallas Wings firing head coach was a surprise

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Dallas Wings are looking for their third head coach in as many seasons after firing Chris Koclanes earlier this offseason.

It isn't common for teams to fire a head coach after just one year, prompting The Athletic insider Ben Pickman to be surprised about the move.

"It was a little bit of a surprise, mostly because of how he was hired in the first place. And that is because general manager Curt Miller, who was in his first year of the GM of the Wings last year, Chris Koclanes is one of his protegés. And they have long worked together for seven or eight seasons back at multiple jobs. He worked with Curt Miller when he was a coach in both the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings," Pickman said in an interview with Texas Standard.

"So they have a huge significant familiarity with each other. And so that’s part of why this was so surprising. And Chris was a first-year head coach. And so normally you see first-year head coaches be afforded opportunities to learn, to grow, to develop. And we did not see that in this situation because as you mentioned, after one year, Chris was let go."

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Firing Koclanes offers hint at next head coach

The Wings are in position to bring in a new coach that has more experience than Koclanes. While that won't be 2024 WNBA champion Sandy Brondello, who was fired by the New York Liberty after their playoff elimination, they have a type of coach they would likely prefer.

"Yeah, so if they went with a first-time head coach in hiring Chris Koclanes, right now it seems like experience is what they’re looking at, whether that is experienced coaches who have WNBA head coaching experience, NBA or NBA G League head coaches, or college head coaching experience. So this has kind of been a trend this cycle as different teams around the league look for candidates," Pickman wrote.

"Last year there was a big movement of first-timers getting head coach jobs, getting this kind of newfound experience. And right now we’re seeing a little bit of a zag back where a number of teams, including the Dallas Wings, seem to be looking for more or candidates with more experience."

The Wings have been linked to Joseph Blair, the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League. He also has assistant coaching experience in the NBA.

There is also a possibility the Wings look at some of the top women's college coaches like Jose Fernandez (South Florida) and Nicki Collen (Baylor), but either way, expect Dallas to have a very different leader in the 2026 season.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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