Chris DeMarco Reportedly Hired by Liberty, What to Know About Sabrina Ionescu's New HC

Longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco is reportedly leaving the NBA to take over the New York Liberty.

The Liberty and DeMarco have agreed on a contract that will make him the franchise's next head coach, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday.

He will replace Sandy Brondello, whose contract was not renewed after the Liberty's first-round exit from the 2025 WNBA playoffs.

DeMarco, 40, has worked with four NBA champion teams since joining the Warriors coaching staff in 2012. He has also coached the Bahamas national men's basketball team since 2019.

He led the Bahamian men's team, led by Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton, to one of the biggest wins in the program's history with an August 2023 upset of Argentina that allowed the country to compete in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifiers.

DeMarco also has experience leading the Warriors' Summer League team, and he's spent at least the last two seasons as a specialist on the team's defensive end.

The Warriors currently rank fifth in the NBA in defensive rating during their 9-8 start to the season.

That defensive success could have made DeMarco an attractive candidate for the Liberty, whose defensive rating dropped from third in the WNBA in 2024 to sixth in 2025.

The Liberty could also be hoping DeMarco's experience working with championship teams will help him slot quickly into a win-now scenario in New York.

The 2024 WNBA champions fell short of expectations with last year's playoff exit, and are looking to build a title contender despite uncertainty regarding which players will be returning next season.

Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are the only players currently signed to the Liberty's 2026 roster, per Spotrac. Other signings could hinge on the results of ongoing negotiations between the WNBA and its players' union regarding a new collective bargaining agreement for next season.

General manager Jonathan Kolb said in September he has the "utmost confidence" that the Liberty's big three players of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones want to return to the team in 2026, per the New York Post's Madeline Kenney.

The Liberty will hope DeMarco's hiring will not only encourage these stars to re-sign but also help New York improve on their defensive and rebounding issues from last season while chasing another title in 2026.