U.S. assistant Dan Hughes is not the face of the Olympic women’s basketball team and he couldn’t be happier in his supporting role. The 66-year-old has had more than his share of success but believes his biggest reward is having played a role in the careers of so many coaches, including the American staff. National team head coach Dawn Staley played for Hughes in the WNBA.
“Look around at the staff I’m with,” said Hughes. “Dawn was my first point guard when I was an interim coach in Charlotte. Jen (Rizzotti) played for me in Cleveland, Cheryl (Reeve) was my assistant in Cleveland. I’ve had a role as a mentor in some cases, a teacher in others. This Olympics just ties it together in a way that makes a lot of sense.”
Hughes was a member of the U.S. Olympic selection committee for years before being named an assistant for the Tokyo Games. It’s not just this Olympic staff where Hughes has made his impact after spending 20 years coaching in the WNBA before abruptly retiring at the end of May. Five of the current coaches in the league were former assistants of his — four of whom are female — including his replacement in Seattle Noelle Quinn.
