The Connecticut Sun’s new head coach hire is an unorthodox one, but it just might work

The Sun hired Rachid Meziane, a French professional basketball coach who also coached the Belgium national team at the Paris Olympics.

After Stephanie White departed the Connecticut Sun for an Indiana Fever head coaching job, the Sun became one of a whopping six WNBA teams searching for a head coach.

There were a number of viable candidates who were fired from other WNBA franchises this offseason, like the Sparks’ Curt Miller, the Sky’s Teresa Weatherspoon, the Wings’ Latricia Trammell, the Dream’s Tanisha Wright, and the Mystics’ Eric Thibault.

But, rather than simply select one of the recently fired coaches, the Sun turned overseas, opting to hire Rachid Meziane, a renowned French professional basketball coach. Meziane currently serves as head coach of Villeneuve-d’Ascq, a French club that was the EuroLeague runner-up winners in each of the last two seasons. He also coaches the Belgian women’s national team that came in fourth place at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Sun hiring continues a league-wide trend of looking elsewhere for new head coaches —whether college or overseas — rather than the existing WNBA pool. The Sparks snagged Lynne Roberts, the veteran head coach of the University of Utah, while the Dream hired Karl Smesko, who coached Florida Gulf Coast for more than 20 years. The decision to tap into the NCAA landscape indicates franchises’ desire to get creative when retooling their coaching staff, even if that means bringing in head coaches who are brand-new to the WNBA. Nate Thibbets, who became the Mercury’s head coach last year, similarly didn’t have WNBA experience before accepting the position.

The varying backgrounds of new hires also signals that as the WNBA’s popularity has grown, franchises simply have more options.

“I think it’s moving in a good direction, because it’s more competitive and there’s more eyes on it, the pool of coaches that we can choose from can only get bigger and bigger,” Lexie Hull said on the The Ringer WNBA show. “We’re going to have great coaches coming up, and just excited to see what those eras look like. It’s unpredictable at this point, but I’m excited to see what it will look like a year from now.”

What Rachid Meziane could bring to the Connecticut Sun

It’s a new era for leadership in Connecticut. Earlier this week, assistant general manager Morgan Tuck was promoted to general manager. Tuck, a former UConn and Connecticut Sun player, had served as second-in-command under Darius Taylor, who will now take on a new role as chief basketball strategist and director of scouting.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rachid as the new head coach of the Connecticut Sun,” said Tuck. “He brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a proven track record of success that will help elevate our players and team as a whole. Rachid’s dedication and commitment to growing women’s basketball, internationally and domestically, brings a unique perspective both on and off the court that aligns with the values and vision of our organization.”

Meziane has served as the head coach of Villeneuve d’Ascq, where he most recently led the team to a Ligue Feminine de Basketball (LFB) Championship in 2024. For Villeneuve, he’s coached WNBA players like New York Liberty’s Kennedy Burke and former WNBA champion Shavonte Zellous, and the ninth overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, Carla Leite.

Meziane also led the Belgian Women’s National team since 2022, which included the talents of WNBA Champion and two-time WNBA All-Star Emma Meesseman and Washington Mystics rookie guard Julie Vanloo, to an impressive fourth place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, falling just short to Australia in the bronze medal game. In 2023, he led Belgium to it’s first-ever FIBA European Women’s Championship Gold Medal.

Sun President Jennifer Rizzotti, whose long been involved with USA Basketball, said her previous experience competing against Rachid in FIBA competitions played a part in his hiring.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand his exceptional basketball IQ and his ability to prepare his teams to compete at the highest level in any situation,” said Rizzotti. “As we looked for a key differentiator to elevate Connecticut’s success and cultivate a championship mindset for the future, Rachid’s extensive experience and passion for the game stood out.”

It’s not the first time a Euroleague head coach has made the transition to the WNBA. James Wade, now an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors, made the move from the Russian Premier Basketball League to become head coach of the Chicago Sky in 2019, helping lead the Sky to a championship in 2021. Wade also served as a WNBA assistant, so the circumstances were a bit different, but the hire ultimately led to the franchise’s first-ever title.

With the hiring, two WNBA head coach positions remain vacant: the Wings’ and the Mystics’. The Wings recently hired Curt Miller as general manager, and Miller, a veteran WNBA coach in his own right, is leading that head coach search. The Mystics’ meanwhile, don’t currently have a general manager or a coach after letting go of both Mike Thibault (former GM) and his son, Eric (former head coach).

What’s in store for the Sun in 2025?

The Sun’s 2025 roster is relatively uncertain. Their three All-Stars — Brionna Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner — are all unrestricted free agents, while 2024 Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington is a restricted free agent. A WNBA rookie head coach may or may not play a factor in players’ desire to stay with the organization. The Sun may try to run it back for another attempt at a franchise-first championship, or they could choose to rebuild.

Last year, the team drafted French standout guard Leila Lacan with the 9th overall pick. Lacan didn’t make the move overseas last season, but could join the organization in the coming years.

Rachid’s experience in the EuroLeague could potentially help him recruit top European to the organization. Emma Meesseman, for example, has opted not to play in the WNBA in recent years despite being one of the more dominant players in the world.

But, with Rachid’s hire, the first offseason priority has been filled. Rizzotti previously stated that the organization was seeking someone who could be with the franchise year-round.

“I ideally would love to find someone who’s committed to Connecticut, the organization, the in-season, off-season commitment, 12 months out of the year,” Rizzotti said, per the CT Insider. “We haven’t had that. We probably haven’t always needed that, but going forward, it’s probably something that’s going to be really important for a lot of franchises.”

Whether Rachid will be with Connecticut full-time remains to be seen. Regardless, the franchise have paved a new direction.

“I am honored to represent a franchise like the Connecticut Sun, a team and organization with a rich history and a passionate fan base,” Meziane said in the team’s official statement. “I look forward to working with our talented roster and assembling a dedicated coaching staff, as we continue to build upon the Sun’s legacy and strive for a championship.”