Mar 8, 2020; Uncasville, CT, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies in the first half of the American Conference Championship Semifinals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Major college power praises Wings' new hire of Jose Fernandez

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The Dallas Wings announced on Monday that they would be hiring Jose Fernandez to be the next head coach of the team. He spent 25 years as the head coach at the University of South Florida, and is easily the most successful coach in their program's history. They had no NCAA Tournament appearances before Fernandez took over, and he led them to 10, including 9 in the last 13 years.

Fernandez is as well-respected as any coach in the business, and plenty of college coaches have voiced their support of him. One of them was UCLA's head coach, Cori Close.

"Jose is a brilliant basketball mind, he is a genuine relationship builder, and he has an excellent sense of how to grow the game. His temperament, his X and O knowledge, and his proven track record makes him a perfect fit. I have no doubt that Dallas is about to explode, in all the best ways," Close said, via the Wings Twitter/X page.

With how successful Fernandez has been in a hard place to win, that makes the Wings really confident that he'll be able to translate it over to the WNBA. The foundation is there to be the next great power in the league, as they have Paige Bueckers, who has all the makings of the next great superstar.

s across the board! pic.twitter.com/1dmrsiPZwq
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) October 28, 2025

Jose Fernandez Could Be Coaching a UCLA Star Next Season

Because of how bad the Dallas Wings were last season, they have the best odds to win the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. There are a lot of talented players who could go in the lottery, but the heavy favorite to go first overall is UCLA center Lauren Betts. And based on Cori Close's statement, she'd be just fine sending her star player to play for Jose Fernandez.

Betts has been linked to the Wings in nearly every mock draft since the WNBA season ended. There has been some talk about Spanish center Awa Fam taking a jump to be the possible first overall pick, but Betts has all of the credentials already.

In her junior season, Betts averaged 20.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and led the country in blocks at 2.9 per game. That led her to being named a First Team All-American last season. She's also got the size that Dallas could desperately use down low, listed at 6'7". The Wings had a center rotation of Li Yueru and Luisa Geiselsoder last season, one that could definitely be improved upon.

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

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