firings

BREAKING: New York Liberty, Walt Hopkins part ways

by

Hopkins spent two seasons at the helm of the New York Liberty, guiding the team to its first playoff appearance since 2017.

The New York Liberty announced on Monday afternoon that the team mutually agreed to part way with head coach Walt Hopkins Jr. New York has already begun the process of searching for the ninth head coach in franchise history.

Hopkins, previously an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx, spent two seasons at the New York helm, amassing a 14-40 record. His time in seafoam was defined by youth, notably working with seven rookies during the Liberty’s time in the Bradenton bubble in 2020. Under his watch, the Liberty produced three WNBA All-Rookie representatives (Jazmine Jones, Michaela Onyenwere, DiDi Richards) and one Rookie of the Year (Onyenwere in 2021). Others to make their WNBA debuts under Hopkins included Sabrina Ionescu, Megan Walker, Jocelyn Willoughby, Kyle Shook, and Leaonna Odom.

Though Hopkins’ first year (dominated by an Ionescu injury) saw the Liberty stumble to a 2-20 record, the team improved by 10 wins in 2021, their first as full-time tenants of Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Hopkins was named May’s Coach of the Year for his efforts and guided the Liberty to its first playoff appearance since 2017.

***THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED***

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

BREAKING: New York Jets fire DC Gregg Williams (Report)

by
New York Jets, Gregg Williams

Gregg Williams has reportedly been let go by the New York Jets after a heartbreaking defensive collapse led to their 12th straight loss.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets have fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in the midst of his second season with the team. The team has yet to confirm the report.

Williams, 62, was heavily scrutinized in the aftermath of the Jets’ 31-28 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after calling for an emphasized blitz in the final minute of the game. With little deep coverage, Derek Carr was able to find Henry Ruggs for a 46-yard scoring pass, allowing the Raiders to erase a rare New York lead with five seconds remaining. The Jets (0-12) are the only winless team left in football. Their defense currently ranks 29th in the league in yards allowed (398.8 per game) and 30th in points against (29.4).

This story will be updated pending further developments.

[EDIT: 2:00 p.m, ET]: The Jets have confirmed Williams’ firing in a statement. They also announced that inside linebackers coach Frank Bush will take over as the interim defensive coordinator over the final four games of the season. Bush previously served in the same role with the Houston Texans during the 2009-10 seasons.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMagsÂ