How the Toronto Tempo landed coach Sandy Brondello

13 hours ago7 min read6 comments

The process to hire the first head coach in Toronto Tempo history, which kicked off back in July, wasn't your typical front-office search. Monica Wright Rogers, the team’s GM, knew this was more than just filling a seat; it was about finding a leader who could instantly become the face of a franchise and, by extension, the standard-bearer for women’s basketball across an entire nation.For a decision of this magnitude, Wright Rogers didn’t go it alone—she looped in key stakeholders like team president Teresa Resch, assistant GM and senior VP of basketball strategy Eli Horowitz, and top ownership, crafting a detailed process and timeline that even included looking at international coaching candidates. She was locked in on two non-negotiables: first, the coach had to be a major draw for free agents, a critical factor given the current landscape of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, and second, they absolutely needed prior WNBA experience to sidestep the brutal learning curve that can sink an expansion team.Wright Rogers had whittled her list down to a final group when, as she put it, 'something happened in New York. ' That something was Sandy Brondello hitting the market, and suddenly, the Tempo had a shot at one of the league’s all-time greats.'We were able to have a crack at one of the best coaches in WNBA history,' Wright Rogers said. 'And I took a swing.' And what a swing it was—landing with the impact of a Bo Bichette home run, if we’re keeping it Toronto-themed (though let’s skip the painful Game 7 memories, alright?). At a Tuesday morning event in Toronto’s King West neighbourhood, a quick eight-minute stroll from the Rogers Centre, Brondello was officially introduced as the Tempo’s inaugural head coach, bringing a resume that’s basically the stuff of WNBA legend: two championships with two different franchises, making her one of only two coaches ever to pull that off, plus four Finals appearances.Her global background is a huge plus for a city—and country—with a massive diaspora; she’s coached the Australian national team since 2017 and has played ball in Europe on top of her WNBA career. Wright Rogers admitted she and Brondello weren’t tight beforehand, but they had a web of mutual connections, like Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek, who’s close with both.Brondello took a solid four weeks to figure out her next move, telling The Athletic she had formal offers from 'a few' other teams (she played it coy on the exact number or names), and she kept emphasizing the importance of alignment with the front office and ownership—a clear nod to how things wrapped up in New York. At 57, she’s all in on building a legacy, something an expansion squad uniquely offers.'I was very intentional with my thinking about where I felt was the next challenge for me, where I felt most supported, and where I was most aligned,' Brondello explained. 'All the teams were different in what they could present there, but ultimately, I chose this as where I wanted to be.Doing something from the beginning, that’s what really sold me. To be able to build a team right from the get-go and having my handprint over that.' Wright Rogers confirmed Brondello inked a multi-year deal, with the coach and her agent, Boris Lelchitski of Sports International Group, calling Tempo brass last month to seal it with a 'We’re in' and 'Let’s go, Tempo!'—cue pure excitement from the GM. When reporters grilled Brondello on her game plan, she said assembling a staff is job one, and on luring free agents, she leaned on her rep: 'Most players know me, and I think I have a pretty good reputation in this league.Being only one of three former players who are head coaches, I think that matters to players. It’s a great opportunity here, and hopefully free agents see that and will be excited about joining an expansion team.' For her, culture trumps X’s and O’s; she hasn’t pinned down a specific style yet beyond entertaining and tough basketball. Wright Rogers highlighted that Brondello’s role extends beyond coaching to being an ambassador for the sport in Canada, calling the hire a 'unicorn' search for someone who shares the vision to build a world-class franchise that competes from day one, with a global perspective and community mindset.Brondello’s already eyeing Canadian talent for the roster—'Hopefully, that does happen,' she said, noting it’s a two-way street with free agents—and when asked about the Golden State Valkyries’ first-year playoff success, she tipped her hat: 'Yeah, they’ve hit the ground running, haven’t they? They’ve done a really great job, and it started with the ownership and bringing the right people in. I think Natalie’s done a great job of coaching that team.' In her intro to Toronto’s media corps, about 30 strong, Brondello pitched herself as a 'servant leader' and 'player’s coach' who stays level and solution-focused, aiming to attract players eager to build from scratch. 'Yes, it will be different because it is an expansion team, but that’s also exciting because now you can build from the ground up,' she said.'You can bring players in that will represent this city and this team in the right way. But the goal is to bring a championship to Toronto.My narrative has not changed. I like winning. '.

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