The Dallas Wings officially named Jose Fernandez as their new head coach on Monday.
Fernandez, 53, takes his first WNBA position after coaching at South Florida for the past 25 seasons.
“Jose is one of the most respected veteran coaches in women’s basketball,” Dallas Wings executive vice president and GM Curt Miller said in a statement. “He is a proven winner and has built sustained success for over two decades at USF. Jose consistently produces professional players and is regarded as an excellent developer of talent. His colleagues from across the country constantly credit his teams for their preparation and grit, while continuously raising the bar for success on the court. He is known for putting his players in a position to succeed. Lastly, as the game and WNBA continue to become global, no coach in this country has recruited and successfully coached international players better than Jose. I can’t wait to partner with Jose and support his vision for our Dallas Wings.”
Dallas parted ways with head coach Chris Koclanes on Sept. 30 following a 10-34 campaign.
Fernandez guided South Florida to its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 11 years after posting a 23-11 record in 2024-25. He went 485-317 (.605) during his 25 seasons with the Bulls.
“I want to thank Curt Miller, (team CEO) Greg Bibb and the entire Dallas Wings organization for this incredible opportunity,” Fernandez said in a statement. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence, approaching everything we do with elite standards and a championship mindset. I couldn’t be more excited to serve as your head coach and will work tirelessly to lead this organization to a level of success that both the Wings and the DFW community can be proud of.”
Fernandez is the Wings’ fifth head coach since the start of the 2019 season, following Koclanes, Latricia Trammell (2023-24), Vickie Johnson (2021-22) and Brian Agler (2019-20).
Since moving to Dallas in 2016, the Wings have made the playoffs five times in 10 seasons, making it out of the first round just once (a semifinal appearance in 2023).
–Field Level Media
