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The Washington Mystics: still trying to find a keeper

Former New York Liberty head coach, Nancy Darsch, was given the reigns in 1999 and became the first coach to complete an entire season. Unfortunately, Darsch wouldn’t become the first coach to complete two entire seasons. Darsch resigned in July of 2000 with the team below .500 at 9-11. No reason for her resignation was given, but rumors were circulating of disagreements between Darsch and former player, Chamique Holdsclaw. Darrell Walker became interim head coach July 14^th of 2000, leading the Washington Mystics to another playoff birth – and then a first round exit.

 

From here on in the Washington Mystics had to modify the job description for the assistant coaching application to read as follows: The responsibilities and duties of the assistant coach will eventually include all the responsibilities and duties of the head coach.

 

Australian Coach Tom Maher replaced Walker in 2001, and completed the season with a 10-22 record, which is worst than the team’s 2000 record of 14-18, but not as terrible as 3-27. That still wasn’t good enough. Maher and general manager, Melissa McFerrin, resigned in January of 2002 in response to management’s dissatisfaction with the trade of Nikki McCray.

 

The assistant coach Marianne Stanley was named head coach in 2002 and the Washington Mystics had one of their best seasons in team history, posting a .531 winning percentage and a record of 17-15. The Mystics made it to the second round of the playoffs where it lost to the Liberty in 3 games. The Mystics returned to its losing ways in 2003,  winning only 9 of its 34 games. Coaching the Mystics and having a record below .500 mixes as well as Bill Laimbeer and silence. Stanley resigned in January of 2004.

 

Dipping into the retired NBA player pool again, Michael Adams was hired as the head coach in February of 2004. Completing the season with a record of 17-17, the Mystics once again returned to the playoffs in 2004, only to be ousted in the first round by the Connecticut Sun. Adams, opting for better job security, resigned in April of 2005 to become the assistant coach for the University of Maryland.

 

Richie Adubato became the head coach of the Mystics in 2005 and remained for almost 3 seasons - that's almost an eternity for a Mystics head coach. In his first two seasons Adubato combined for a record of 34-34 and a first round playoff appearance in 2006. A 0-4 start, contract issues, and a couple player transactions led to his resignation in the middle of the 2007 season. Assistant coach Tree Rollins took over as interim head coach and the Mystics finished its season at 17-14. Continuing the Washington Mystics coaching curse, Rollins was relieved of his duties on July 18^th of this year. The assistant coach Jessie Kenlaw became the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. If past behavior (the fact that I have to take off my socks to count the number of coaches is one intimation) can be any indication of the future, I give Julie Plank at least until next July, but no longer than the completion of the 2010 season, before she is either fired or resigns.