Seattle Storm head coach Dan Hughes is one of the most accomplished coaches in the WNBA. He’s the kind of highly-regarded coach who can really get away with calling it quits whenever he wants. Having said that, even the Storm must have been surprised when Hughes decided to say he was calling it a career right in the middle of his fourth season with the team.
On Sunday, Hughes abruptly retired from the WNBA, stating that the rigors of being a head coach had become too much for him. He still plans on being an assistant coach for Team USA, but his time with the Storm is coming to a surprising end. Storm assistant Noelle Quinn was promoted to head coach in Hughes place.
Dan Hughes Announces Retirement from the @WNBA.
Legacy continues as Noelle Quinn elevated to Head Coach.
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https://t.co/LRYWiz9SLp #TakeCover pic.twitter.com/O4tpKGtKgi
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) May 30, 2021
Hughes’ retirement comes as a bit of a surprise. Even at 66 years old, it’s rare to see a coach as successful as he’s been suddenly calling it a career, especially when the Storm are off to a scintillating 5-1 start this season and lead the Western Conference. Of course, only Hughes knows when it’s time to retire, and if he says now is the best time, then the only thing the Storm can do is respect his decision.
Hughes will retire as the third-winningest coach in WNBA history. He spent 20 years as a coach in places like Charlotte, Cleveland, San Antonio, and Seattle, and in 2018, he was at the helm as the Storm won a WNBA championship.