Chris DeMarco is ready to lead the Liberty into a new era — or almost ready.
The new Liberty hire is set to depart from his Warriors assistant role on Dec. 29 after the team visits the Brooklyn Nets.
After that, DeMarco is 100% committed to being the Liberty’s newest head coach — a job opportunity he described as a “no-brainer.”
In his introductory press conference, DeMarco described the Liberty as a “world-class organization” that has what it takes to win a WNBA championship. That plus being in what he expressed as the “best city in the world” attracted him to the new gig.
“And again, I talked about the championship pedigree here,” DeMarco said at Barclays Center on Wednesday. “I want to go somewhere where we have a chance to win, and with the support of ownership and the way ownerships align with management, and now the head coach… this is just an exciting opportunity.”
DeMarco, who lived in Long Island till the first grade, is set to lead one of the WNBA’s original franchises after general manager Jonathan Kolb decided to part ways with Sandy Brondello — the franchise’s winningest coach — in September.
He brings 14 years of NBA experience (player development, assistant) with the Golden State Warriors. DeMarco, 40, won four titles with the Warriors and also led the Bahamas Men’s National Basketball Team since 2019.
The team never qualified for the Olympics, but came close in 2024 after securing its most significant victory in program history, defeating host Argentina in the 2024 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament final.
“I feel like I’m Bahamian, if we’re being honest,” said DeMarco. The Liberty, of course, are anchored by Bahamian-born star Jonquel Jones.
DeMarco — sitting alongside Kolb — spoke at the press conference after working with the Warriors on a three-game road trip in the span of four days (Dec. 4-7). He arrived in Brooklyn with his face on the big screens outside of Barclays Center on the plaza.
It’s a result of a two-month search in which DeMarco separated himself from other candidates late in the process, per Kolb. The general manager said the head coach excelled in the tactical session, a portion of the process each candidate underwent.
Kolb noted DeMarco’s ability to have plans for the Liberty while simultaneously coaching in the NBA “really spoke to us.”
“So we believe that Chris is the right person at this time to unlock the full potential of our group and to lead the New York Liberty to the levels that we all expect,” the GM said. Kolb added that the coaching search involved “head coaches, assistant coaches, we looked at college programs as well as the NBA, and we really just let the evidence guide us.”
The Liberty’s new hire continued the trend of coaches with prior NBA experience landing head coaching gigs in the ever-growing WNBA.
Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets arrived there after years of being an NBA assistant and a head coach of two G-League teams. Natalie Nakase spent time as a Clippers assistant before coaching under Becky Hammon in Las Vegas then eventually being hired as head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.
DeMarco noted that Nakase and Tibbetts were coaches he spoke with about transitioning from the NBA to WNBA.
“I have a lot to learn about the space, so I’m gonna spend the time over the next few months and keep growing and keep learning, and hopefully by the time the season starts, we’re all be ready to go,” he said.
Team owner Clara Wu Tsai and chief executive officer Keia Clarke sat front row with Liberty players — Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Isabelle Harrison — also in attendance.
DeMarco already knew some players before being hired and has since reached out to every player on the team.
“I’ve gotten to know them a little bit, obviously, high character. All great people [and I’m] really excited to start coaching them,” said DeMarco. Sabally, though, was the only Liberty player in attendance Wednesday that is signed through the 2026 WNBA season. Leonie Fiebich’s deal keeps her in Brooklyn through 2027. The rest of the roster will be in search of a new deal whenever free agency approaches (possible lockout).
When that roster is set, DeMarco has sights set on a WNBA title.
The foundation should be set as Kolb previously mentioned he expected the core trio of Ionesu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart to re-sign with the franchise this winter.
“Very, very excited, mainly because of the championship pedigree. I think for those who have won at the highest level, it’s so hard to get there,” DeMarco said. “And we have an organization that’s been there. We have a team full of players who have been there. And I do think that matters when you’re trying to win every single season, and I know last season [we were] unable to repeat, and I think there’s some growth there, and we’re going to continue to work on that.”
