Pistons Legend Bill Laimbeer Says He'll Never Coach Again Despite 3 WNBA Title Wins
Former Las Vegas Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer ruled out a return to the bench, telling reporters Saturday he's "not ever going to coach again."
Laimbeer explained how he doesn't feel he can make the commitment required to be a head coach anymore but left the door open for occupying another position within the game.
"Whether I participate in basketball going forward, I don't know," he said. "It's too early to tell. I just had six months off. I've never spent a summer at my farm in Michigan. So I'm looking forward to that. What the future holds, I don't really have a solid handle on right now. I'm having fun. I'm relaxed."
Many were surprised when The Athletic's Chantel Jennings and Shams Charania reported in December the Aces were making a run at Becky Hammon as their next head coach. At that point, Laimbeer had yet to resign or be removed from his role.
The 65-year-old explained he felt after the 2021 season it was time to walk away, and the Aces' pursuit of Hammon reassured him the franchise would still be headed in the right direction after his departure.
Laimbeer can lay claim to being one of the greatest coaches in WNBA history.
The Detroit Pistons legend helped the Detroit Shock win three titles and guided the New York Liberty to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015. The Aces, meanwhile, advanced to the 2020 WNBA Finals and were semifinalists in 2019 and 2021.
Laimbeer posted a 306-215 record in 17 seasons.
The Aces appear to be in good hands with Hammon. They improved to 6-1 with Saturday's 100-80 win over the Phoenix Mercury, giving them the best record in the league.
