Photo courtesy of USF Athletics
By Irena Mesa
The University of South Florida’s women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez is moving up to the WNBA as the newest head coach of the Dallas Wings.
During Fernandez’s 25-year tenure, he led the Bulls to an overall record of 485-317, ten NCAA tournament appearances and American Athletic Conference titles in 2021 and 2025.
In 2024, Fernandez won a gold medal as the assistant coach of Team USA’s Under-18 National Team. Over 100 of his players have gone on to play in professional leagues after their time at USF.
His accolades caught the attention of the Dallas Wings and many others in the world of women’s basketball.
“He is a proven winner and has built sustained success for over two decades at USF,” Dallas Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller said in a statement. “His colleagues from across the country constantly credit his teams for their preparation and grit, while continuously raising the bar for success on the court.”
Fernandez will be the fifth head coach of the Dallas Wings in just seven seasons, coming after Chris Koclanes who started in December 2024.
Wings fans like Emilia Wrucke, a junior environmental science and policy major at USF St. Petersburg, are hopeful that Fernandez can bring his success to a team that finished last in the 2025 WNBA standings.
“I think if he would have left to coach any other team, I would have been a bit more bummed out. But seeing him go to the Wings was just so exciting,” Wrucke said. “I do believe that the Wings are very talented, I just think they need that extra little push, and I think a different coaching staff could definitely do that.”
Wrucke is also confident that the Bulls will continue doing well with Michele Woods-Baxter taking over as interim head coach. This season will be the former associate head coach’s 18th with USF.
“I think because [the team] is already used to this sort of leadership from the assistant coach, I don’t think it will be a big change for them. I think that lasting imprint will keep them going strong,” Wrucke said.
The Bulls opened their 2025-2026 season at the Yuengling Center on Nov. 3 against Florida International University.
Correction: A previous version of this story spelled the first name of Emilia Wrucke “Emelia.”
