Marquette University Athletics
5th Annual Marquette Women's Basketball Coaching Clinic
10/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Thibault returns to Milwaukee to be part of the Marquette Women's Basketball Coaching clinic. He was an assistant in the Milwaukee Bucks organization for four seasons prior to taking over the reigns in Connecticut. His relationships with the Marquette basketball program grew while he was with the Bucks and he says he's looking forward to returning to Milwaukee to be a part of the coaching clinic.
"I'm literally excited to go back to Milwaukee and be around the Marquette program," Thibault said. "It's been fun for me to be involved in the past and I have a good relationship with the staff. Terri and the rest of her staff have done a tremendous job in getting the program rebuilt. They have to be excited about where the program is going. And it will be fun to be in the new building. I haven't been in it for a game or a practice, so it will be enjoyable for me. "
Thibault is no stranger to success. His winning tradition has extended to the Sun, where he led the team to this year's Eastern Conference Championship and a spot in the WNBA Finals, extending the league title tilt the distance. Among his vast amount of basketball success, Thibault lists the WNBA Eastern Conference crown as one of his finest achievements.
"It ranks right up there near the top or at the top because it's my own head coaching job," Thibault said. "Part of it is the satisfaction of taking a brand new organization and building it. Part of it is the unique team we had, that sacrificed so much to get where we were."
Thibault was selected as WNBA.com Coach-of-the-Year. The honor came at the end of Thibault's second season with Connecticut, both of which ended in playoff runs.
While he has spent the majority of his career working in the men's game, his time coaching professional women's basketball has helped him grow as a teacher of the game.
"One of the first things I learned is that basketball is basketball. There are nuances that are different, but great players all have the same motivation regardless of gender," Thibault said. "The other part of it is that, my experience has been that our players really think of their team as family. And that makes success more meaningful."
Hired by the Sun on March 7, 2003 as its first head coach, Thibault owns an impressive coaching resume that extends well beyond his time in Milwaukee.
Thibault entered the NBA ranks in 1978 as a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers, and was promoted to director of scouting and assistant coach in 1980. The Lakers won two World Championships (1980, 1982) during his tenure.
From 1982-1986, he was an assistant coach and director of scouting for the Chicago Bulls during a period when the franchise drafted Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley while also acquiring John Paxson.
From 1988-89, Thibault was the general manager and head coach of the Calgary 88's of the World Basketball League (WBL), earning WBL Coach of the Year honors in 1988.
In 1989, Thibault began a remarkable eight-year run as general manager and head coach of CBA's Omaha Racers. The Racers made the playoffs each season (1989-97) under his watch, bringing home a CBA title in 1993, and a return to the finals in 1994. Thibault was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by the Omaha sportscasters, and ranks sixth on the CBA all-time coaching victory list (236).
In March of 1995, he coached the silver medal winning USA National Team at the Pan American Games, and in August of 1993, he served as head coach of the gold medal-winning USA National Team at the World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. He spent the 1997-98 season as a scout for the Seattle Supersonics.
To take part in the Marquette Women's Basketball 5th Annual Coaching Clinic, please re-register by calling 414-288-5784 or e-mailing monica.schwarz@marquette.edu.
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