Brian Agler will not return to coach the Dallas Wings, the team announced Wednesday.
Agler compiled an 18-38 record in two seasons with Dallas, overseeing the transition from a veteran roster led by Skylar Diggins-Smith and Liz Cambage to a young and talented team bolstered by a slew of high draft picks.
“As we look to the future, we believe our team is talented and well-positioned for success,” Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said in a statement “After discussions with Brian, we have elected to go in different directions. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”
Agler told ESPN that he and the organization “had different philosophies on how to get where we all wanted to go.”
Agler nearly led the Wings, the youngest team in WNBA, to the playoffs in the shortened 2020 season played in “The Wubble” at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. But injuries at the end of the season — Dallas at one point had only six active players available — kept the Wings from reaching the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Dallas finished with an 8-14 record.
Under Agler, Dallas drafted Arike Ogunbowale with the fifth overall pick in 2019. She was named first-team all-WNBA this season after leading the league in scoring. In 2020, Dallas selected Satou Sabally with the No. 2 overall pick. She was named to this season’s WNBA All-Rookie team.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to coach the Dallas Wings, I have great respect for the organization,” Agler said in a statement. “I wish everyone within the Wings organization the best of luck in the future.”
Agler previously coached the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks, winning WNBA titles with Seattle and LA.
Bibb said Dallas will begin its search for a new coach immediately.
“We will take a deliberate approach as we seek a new head coach to lead the Wings,” Bibb said. “We believe our team’s youth, tenacity and talent provide us with the competitive edge to attract the right fit for our club and someone who will lead our continued growth as we pursue a WNBA championship.”
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