WASHINGTON — The Washington Mystics are looking for new leadership. The team announced Wednesday that it has parted ways with both general manager Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault. The team said the decision was mutual between all parties.
Mike Thibault joined the Mystics as GM/Head Coach on Dec. 18, 2012, leading the team to its first championship in 2019. Under his leadership, Washington made eight postseason appearances. Following the 2013 season, his first with the Mystics, Mike Thibault earned his third WNBA Coach of the Year award. Numerous players under his tutelage received individual accolades, including MVP and All-WNBA honors.
Before the 2023 season, Mike Thibault moved away from the bench to lead the team’s basketball operations.
Eric Thibault was named head coach in 2022. He spent ten seasons as an assistant coach with the Mystics, including four seasons as associate head coach. Throughout his tenure, Eric Thibault played a vital role in all aspects of the team’s basketball operations. He helped lead the Mystics to nine postseason appearances, including back-to-back trips to the WNBA Finals in 2018 and 2019, culminating in the franchise's first WNBA Championship in 2019. Under his guidance, many players achieved significant individual milestones.
Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger said the team is looking toward the future in the WNBA.
“After extensive reflection and conversation, we have decided we are at a point in our competitive and evolutionary cycle to turn the team over to new leadership with a renewed vision to carve our path into the future of WNBA basketball,” Winger said in a press statement. “Coach Mike elevated the Mystics program to its proud status as a league leader in innovation, the standard bearer in player care, and a model franchise. He built and coached the Championship team, developed high performing players, and pioneered many of the processes teams use today in building rosters and organizations. His fingerprints are all over this franchise and will be for years to come. We are grateful for Mike’s commitment, passion, and leadership and wish him well. Coach Eric is a skilled coach and equally talented motivator. Our players are fortunate to have played for Eric these past two seasons, as will many other players in this league for decades ahead.”
The team has not said what the coaching search will look like.
The Mystics finished this season 14-26, just missing the playoffs. The team underwent major changes this offseason with Elena Delle Donne sitting out and Natasha Cloud leaving for Phoenix.