Seattle Storm Coach Dan Hughes Retires Midseason

SEATTLE — Seattle Storm Coach Dan Hughes abruptly announced his retirement on Sunday, six games into the season, saying the rigors of being a head coach in the W.N.B.A. has taken a toll.

Hughes, 66, said he would continue to serve as an assistant coach for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics, but he handed over the duties of leading the Storm (5-1) to assistant coach Noelle Quinn.

“After over 40 years of coaching basketball, I want to finish my career with the focus and determination with which I started,” Hughes said in a statement. “The Seattle Storm is in amazing shape, after two championships and a terrific playoff run in 2019, I would like to announce my retirement from the W.N.B.A. I believe now is the right time because the team is performing well, but the rigors of being a head coach in the WNBA have taken their toll on me. I look forward to coaching with U.S.A. Basketball at the 2021 Olympics, then leveraging my experience to give back to the game in other ways.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/30/sports/basketball/seattle-storm-coach-dan-hughes-retires.html