Kings hire NBA’s second female assistant coach
The Sacramento Kings hired Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman as an assistant coach on Friday.
Lieberman, who was the head coach of the NBA Development League's Texas Legends from 2009 to 2011, becomes the second female assistant coach to join an NBA staff after Becky Hammon was hired by the San Antonio Spurs in April 2014.
Lieberman tweeted late Thursday night that she was "honored to be a Sacramento King."
The Kings made it official Friday as the 57-year-old Lieberman joins head coach George Karl's staff.
"George and I talked about bringing her back after she helped us at Summer League (in Las Vegas)," Kings vice president Vlade Divac told the Sacramento Bee on Thursday. "She was terrific. She brings a different dimension. I think it is a nice opportunity for her."
Lieberman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. She played for the Phoenix Mercury at age 39 during the WNBA's inaugural season in 1997.
Lieberman coached the Legends to a D-League playoff appearance during the 2010-11 season. She was then named the team's assistant general manager in 2011-12.
Prior to coaching, Lieberman won an Olympic Silver Medal (1976), won back-to-back AIAW National Championships with Old Dominion (1979, 1980) and was a three-time All-American.
The Kings announced the signing of Chad Iske as associate head coach on Friday, and John Welch, Anthony Carter and Lieberman as assistant coaches. They join Corliss Williamson and Vance Walberg on Karl's staff.
Iske joins the Kings after the past two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent the previous 14 seasons with the Denver Nuggets, including the last six as an assistant coach under Karl.
Welch spent two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets following eight seasons as an assistant coach for the Nuggets under Karl.
Carter joins the Kings after spending the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons as an assistant coach with the Austin Toros, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Spurs.
In 14 NBA seasons, Carter played for the Miami Heat, Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Nuggets, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. In 623 career games, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 19.6 minutes per game.
