Basketball: Kings name Nancy Lieberman assistant coach
The Sacramento Kings have become the latest NBA team to hire a woman as an assistant coach, appointing Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman to work alongside head coach George Karl, reports said Friday. Lieberman will be only the second female assistant coach with an NBA team following the appointment of Becky Hammon at the San Antonio Spurs last year. The 57-year-old said on Twitter late Thursday she was "honored to be a Sacramento King" ahead of a formal announcement expected next week. "Definitely I'm going to offer her a job," Kings vice president Vlade Divac was quoted as saying by the Sacramento Bee. "George (Karl) and I talked about bringing her back after she helped us at summer league (in Las Vegas). She was terrific. She brings a different dimension. I think is a nice opportunity for her." Lieberman's appointment comes after the success of Hammon, who became part of Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich's staff last year. Hammon recently became the first woman to coach an NBA summer league team, steering the Spurs to the Las Vegas league title. On Monday, meanwhile, Jen Welter, a former collegiate rugby player who played 14 seasons of professional gridiron, was named as the first woman coach in the NFL after being appointed to an intern position with the Arizona Cardinals.
