Kings Hire Nancy Lieberman as an Assistant Coach

The Sacramento Kings have hired Nancy Lieberman as an assistant coach.

The 1996 Hall of Fame inductee and assistant general manager of the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League team joins Becky Hammon as the NBA’s second female coach.

A formal announcement of the hiring is expected next week.

Per the Sac Bee:

“Definitely I’m going to offer her a job,” Kings vice president Vlade Divac said Thursday. “George (Karl) and I talked about bringing her back after she helped us at Summer League (in Las Vegas). She was terrific. She brings a different dimension. I think is a nice opportunity for her.”

 

Lieberman has a storied and expansive basketball history. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has been an Olympian, college star at Old Dominion, among the original players in the WNBA and former coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock. Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson hired her to coach the Detroit Legends of the NBA Development League in 2009 and she became the assistant general manger in 2011.

 

Assuming Lieberman accepts the job – and that is the expectation – she would become the league’s second assistant coaching. Becky Hammon was hired by the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich a year ago. Earlier this week, the NFL Arizona Cardinals hired the league’s first female assistant – Jen Welter – and the Memphis Grizzlies added Nicki Gross to their D-League staff.