The Dallas Wings have officially announced the hiring of South Florida women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez to fill their current vacancy.
Fernandez becomes the Wings’ fifth coach in seven seasons. He inherits a team that finished 10-34 under Chris Koclanes in 2025, but one that does have some star power in last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Paige Bueckers, and the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 WNBA draft lottery.
‘I want to thank Curt Miller, 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.’
In 25 seasons at South Florida, Fernandez, 54, led the Bulls to a record of 485-317 – including eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament in the past 11 years, and 10 overall.
However, he told school officials recently that he was ready to move on and pursue a head coaching job in the WNBA.
‘While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose to realize a professional dream, and we wish him the best,’ USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins said in a statement.
Fernandez will fill the third coaching vacancy in the WNBA this offseason, with the Portland Fire hiring Alex Sarama and the Toronto Tempo set to hire Sandy Brondello.