Geno Auriemma gives strong take on Paige Bueckers’ new coach with the Dallas Wings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Geno Auriemma has delivered his verdict on the Dallas Wings‘ hiring of Jose Fernandez as their new head coach — and it is great news for Paige Bueckers, Auriemma’s former star pupil at the University of Connecticut.
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The Wings last week zeroed in on Fernandez, the longtime coach at the University of South Florida, as their choice to replace Chris Koclanes — who was fired last month after one difficult season on the Dallas bench. Fernandez coached the USF Bulls between 2000 and 2025, guiding the mid-major program to consistent success while earning the respect of his fellow coaches.
Auriemma, the winningest coach in college basketball history, is among those praising the Wings for their choice of head coach.
Auriemma lauds Wings’ choice to hire Fernandez
The Wings posted a graphic to X that revealed Auriemma’s thoughts on Fernandez replacing Koclanes as Bueckers’ head coach in Dallas. And knowing Bueckers as he does, Auriemma believes this hire is a home run by Wings general manager Curt Miller.
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“I think Jose Fernandez is a great hire by the Dallas Wings,” Auriemma said. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for Jose as a teacher and an innovator. He’s a guy who thinks outside the box, whether that’s recruiting internationally or playing a style of basketball that’s unique.”
Fernandez, whose hiring was confirmed on Monday, is the Wings’ fifth permanent head coach since the franchise hired Brian Agler in 2018. Dallas has long struggled to find consistency, on and off the court; prominent players who have played for the Wings, like Skylar Diggins, Allisha Gray and Satou Sabally, have ended up asking out of Dallas due to the organizational instability. A franchise with an iconic history — as the Detroit Shock, it won WNBA titles in 2003, 2006 and 2008 — the Wings have posted one winning season since moving to Dallas from Tulsa in 2016.
Under Fernandez’s stewardship — and with blossoming superstar Bueckers ready to take her game to another level — the hope in Dallas is that the Wings build a winner in the years ahead. And Auriemma is backing Fernandez to foster the culture necessary for WNBA title contention.
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“He’s terrific at communicating with his players. He’s a relationship guy,” Auriemma said. “I think he’ll bring tremendous energy, stability and innovation to that organization.”
