Eric Thibault
{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1987)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Eric Thibault
| image = Eric Thibault 2024 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Thibault with the Washington Mystics in 2024
| league = WNBA
| team = Minnesota Lynx
| position = Associate head coach
| height_ft =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|08|22}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = American
| high_school =
| college =
| draft_year =
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| career_end =
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| coach_start = 2010
| coach_end =
| years1 = 2010–2012
| team1 = St. John's (graduate assistant)
| years2 = 2012–2013
| team2 = VCU Rams (assistant)
| years3 = {{WNBA Year|2013}}–{{WNBA Year|2018}}
| team3 = Washington Mystics (assistant)
| years4 = {{WNBA Year|2019}}–{{WNBA Year|2022}}
| team4 = Washington Mystics (associate HC)
| years5 = {{WNBA Year|2023}}–{{WNBA Year|2024}}
| team5 = Washington Mystics
| years6 = {{WNBA Year|2025}}–present
| team6 = Minnesota Lynx (associate HC)
| highlights =
}}
Eric Thibault (born August 22, 1987) is an American professional basketball coach who is the associate head coach for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Thibault previously spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach, associate head coach, and head coach for the Washington Mystics.
College
Thibault attended the University of Missouri for his undergraduate English degree and was a member of the all-male practice squad{{Cite web |last=Stillman |first=Adam |date=2010-02-09 |title=Male practice squad a plus for Missouri women's basketball team |url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/sports/male-practice-squad-a-plus-for-missouri-womens-basketball-team/article_93a6269c-9064-5a25-b6fa-33b7ff602b28.html |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Columbia Missourian |language=en}} for the Missouri Tiger women's basketball team during his time. After spending three seasons as a practice player, Thibault moved into a graduate assistant role with the Tigers.{{cite web |last1=Briggs |first1=David |title=Thibault a chip off the old block |url=https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2009/12/10/thibault-chip-off-old-block/21562965007/ |website=columbiatribune.com |publisher=Columbia Tribune |access-date=13 December 2022}}
Following one year as a graduate assistant at Missouri, the coaching staff there was let go and Thibault found another graduate assistant opportunity with Kim Barnes Arico and the St. John's Red Storm women's basketball team.{{cite web |last1=Altavilla |first1=John |title=Eric Thibault Following In Father's Footsteps |url=https://www.courant.com/sports/connecticut-sun/hc-xpm-2010-09-25-hc-eric-thibault-basketball-0924-20100923-story.html |website=Courant.com |publisher=The Hartford Courant |access-date=13 December 2022}}
Coaching career
=VCU Rams (2012–2013)=
Following his years as a graduate assistant, Thibault got his first assistant coaching job with the VCU Rams women's basketball team.{{cite web |last1=Marc |first1=Allard |title=Sun coach's son earns assistant job at VCU |url=https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/sports/pro/2012/08/14/sun-coach-s-son-earns/44944243007/ |website=norwichbulletin.com |publisher=Norwich Bulletin |access-date=13 December 2022}} Thibault only spent one year there before he left to go the WNBA coaching ranks.
=Washington Mystics (2013–2024)=
==Assistant coach and associate head coach==
Thibault was named an assistant coach on the Washington Mystics staff in May of 2013.{{cite web |last1=Albert |first1=Lee |title=Washington Mystics hire Eric Thibault as assistant coach |url=https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2013/3/15/4109642/wnba-washington-mystics-eric-thibault-assistant-coach |website=swishappeal.com |publisher=Swish Appeal |access-date=13 December 2022}} Prior to the 2019 season, the Mystics promoted him to Associate head coach, a position that he held until the end of the 2022 season.{{cite web |title=ERIC THIBAULT ELEVATED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH |url=https://mystics.wnba.com/news/eric-thibault-elevated-to-associate-head-coach/ |website=mystics.wnba.com |publisher=WNBA |access-date=13 December 2022}}
==Head coach==
Thibault was promoted to the Mystics head coach position in November of 2022, following the coaching retirement of his father and previous Mystics head coach Mike Thibault.{{cite web |title=MIKE THIBAULT TO RETIRE FROM COACHING |url=https://mystics.wnba.com/news/mike-thibault-to-retire-from-coaching/ |website=mystics.wnba.com |publisher=WNBA |access-date=13 December 2022}}{{cite web |title=Washington Mystics' Eric Thibault to coach; dad Mike Thibault moves to GM
|url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/35033000/washington-mystics-eric-thibault-coach-dad-mike-thibault-moves-gm |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=13 December 2022}} On October 23, 2024, the Mystics announced that they had mutually agreed to part ways with both Eric and Mike Thibault.{{Cite web |title=Mystics, Mike Thibault and Eric Thibault Agree to Part Ways |url=https://mystics.wnba.com/news/mystics-mike-thibault-and-eric-thibault-agree-to-part-ways |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=mystics.wnba.com |language=en}}
=Minnesota Lynx (2025–present)=
On November 30, 2024, Thibault was announced as the associate head coach of the Minnesota Lynx.{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Lynx Add WNBA Champion Eric Thibault and Four-Time WNBA Champion Lindsay Whalen to Coaching Staff |url=https://lynx.wnba.com/news/minnesota-lynx-add-wnba-champion-eric-thibault-and-four-time-wnba-champion-lindsay-whalen-to-coaching-staff |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=lynx.wnba.com |language=en}}
Head coaching record
{{NBA coach statistics legend}}
{{NBA coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" |WAS
| align="left" |{{wnbay|2023}}
|40||19||21||{{Winning percentage|19|21}}|| align="center" |4th in Eastern||2||0||2||{{Winning percentage|0|2}}
|Lost in 1st Round
|-
| align="left" |WAS
| align="left" |{{wnbay|2024}}
|40||14||26||{{Winning percentage|14|26}}|| align="center" |5th in Eastern||—||—||—|| {{Winning percentage|0|0}}
| align="center" | Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||80||33||47||{{Winning percentage|33|47}}|| ||2||0||2||{{Winning percentage|0|2}}
{{s-end}}
Personal life
Thibault's father is Mike Thibault, who had coached in both the NBA and the WNBA between 1980 and 2022. Mike is currently the Washington Mystics General Manager. Eric's sister is Carly Thibault-DuDonis, who is currently the head coach for the Fairfield Stags women's basketball team.{{cite web |title=Carly Thibault-DuDonis Named Head Coach of Fairfield Women’s Basketball |url=https://www.fairfield.edu/news/archive/2022/april/carly-thibault-dudonis-named-head-coach-of-womens-basketball.html |website=Fairfield.edu |publisher=Fairfield News |access-date=13 December 2022}}
Eric is married to his wife, Andreya, with whom he shares a son, Dean, born May 2023.{{cite web |title=Eric Thibault, Head Coach |url=https://mystics.wnba.com/coaching-staff/ |website=mystics.wnba.com |publisher=WNBA |access-date=13 December 2022}}
References
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External links
{{Authority control}}
{{Minnesota Lynx current roster}}
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{{Washington Mystics 2019 WNBA champions}}
{{Washington Mystics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thibault, Eric}}
Category:American women's basketball coaches