Nancy Lieberman is taking the next step in her Hall of Fame career, moving from the sidelines into front office for the Texas Legends for the upcoming NBA Development League season. Not surprisingly, she's making the move not only to break yet another barrier, but also with her family in mind.
"I have one son and he has one senior year," Lieberman told ESPN's Marc Stein, who originally reported the D-League transition Sunday night. "It's not to say I'll never coach again, because T.J. goes to college in a year, but I felt like this was the right thing to do right now. I don't want to have any regrets as a mom. I want him to look up and see me in the stands."
Lieberman coached the Dallas Mavericks' affiliated Legends to a less-than-stellar 24-26 record in her only season as the expansion team's head coach, partially due to a couple of untimely injuries, and will now join a front office that also includes Donnie Nelson, Del Harris and Spud Webb.
Lieberman's move to the front office also opens up yet another head coaching position in the D-League for the 2011-12 season, though I would assume her assistant coach -- and NBA veteran -- David Wesley probably has at least a bit of an inside track.
Other D-League coaching vacancies, to the knowledge of Ridiculous Upside, include:
- Canton, the Cleveland Cavaliers new expansion team
- Dakota Wizards, recently purchased by the Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles D-Fenders now that the Lakers have brought them out of hibernation
- Maine Red Claws after Austin Ainge moved to the Celtics front office and Bruce Pearl and Dale Osbourne turned them down
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers following Chris Finch's call-up to the Houston Rockets
- and the Springfield Armor, who haven't exactly fired incumbent Dee Brown, but have opened up a coaching search since the New Jersey Nets officially acquired the team this offseason.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce have yet to announce if they will be extending Mo McHone an additional season or not, but that move should probably be on its way shortly lest they fall into a David Kahn-Kurt Rambis situation a la their NBA affiliate Minnesota Timberwolves.
To my knowledge, all other head coaching vacancies are filled at the moment, but that could change as NBA coaches tweak their staffs.