Overview
- USF announced that Jose Fernandez has informed the school he is leaving for a WNBA job, and multiple outlets report he is expected to take the Dallas post with a contract still to be finalized.
- Michele Woods-Baxter was named interim head coach at USF ahead of the Nov. 3 season opener.
- Fernandez, 53, spent 25 seasons at USF with a 485-317 record and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, and he serves as WBCA president with recent Team USA youth coaching experience.
- Reporting indicates his buyout dropped to roughly $250,000 due to clauses tied to an athletic director change and a provision for WNBA departures.
- He would inherit a 10-34 Dallas team built around Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers with strong draft-lottery odds and a new practice facility, as the hire comes during a wider carousel that includes Toronto set to hire Sandy Brondello and Portland hiring Alex Sarama.