View source for Mike Thibault

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
|name            = Mike Thibault
|image           = Washington Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault (48372324116) (cropped).jpg
|image_size      = 
|caption         = Thibault in 2019
|position        = [[General manager (basketball)|General manager]]
|league          =
|team            = [[Belgium women's national basketball team|Belgian Cats]]
|birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1950|09|28}}
|birth_place     = [[St. Paul, Minnesota]], U.S.
|death_date      = 
|death_place     = 
|high_school     = 
|college         = [[Saint Martin's University|Saint Martin's]]
|coach_start     = 1980
|career_end      = 
|cyears1         = {{nbay|1979|end}}–{{nbay|1981|end}}
|cteam1          = [[Los Angeles Lakers]] (assistant)
|cyears2         = {{nbay|1982|start}}–{{nbay|1985|end}}
|cteam2          = [[Chicago Bulls]] (assistant)
|cyears3         = 1988
|cteam3          = [[Calgary 88's]]
|cyears4         = 1989–1997
|cteam4          = [[Omaha Racers]]
|cyears5         = {{nbay|1998|start}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}
|cteam5          = [[Milwaukee Bucks]] (assistant)
|cyears6         = [[2003 WNBA season|2003]]–[[2012 WNBA season|2012]]
|cteam6          = [[Connecticut Sun]]
|cyears7         = [[2013 WNBA season|2013]]–[[2022 WNBA season|2022]]
|cteam7          = [[Washington Mystics]]
|cyears8         = 2025–present
|cteam8          = [[Belgium women's national basketball team|Belgian Cats]] 
|highlights          = 
'''As head coach:'''
* [[WNBA]] champion ([[2019 WNBA Finals|2019]])
* [[World Basketball League|WBL]] Coach of the Year (1988)
* [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]] Champion (1993)
* 3× [[WNBA Coach of the Year Award|WNBA Coach of the Year]] (2006, 2008, 2013)
'''As assistant coach:'''
* 2× [[List of NBA champions|NBA champion]] ({{nbafy|1980}}, {{nbafy|1982}})
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Assistant coach for the {{bkw|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]]|[[Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Paris]]|[[Basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup|2022 Australia]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2006 FIBA World Championship for Women|2006 Brazil]]|}}
{{MedalSport|[[Head coach]] for {{bkw|Belgium}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[EuroBasket Women]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[EuroBasket Women 2025|2025 Czechia/Germany/Italy/Greece]]|}}
}}
}}
'''Michael Francis Thibault''' (born September 28, 1950) is an American basketball head coach and  basketball general manager. He is the head coach of the [[Belgium|Belgian]] women's national basketball team [[Belgian Cats]] since 2025. Before he coached the [[Connecticut Sun]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnba.com/sun/staffdirectory.html |title=SUN: Staffdirectory |website=www.wnba.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604060008/http://www.wnba.com/sun/staffdirectory.html |archive-date=4 June 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Washington Mystics]].<ref>{{cite news|date=December 18, 2012|work=WNBA|url= http://www.wnba.com/mystics/news/mike_thibault_named_mystics_coach_121812.html|title=Mike Thibault Named Mystics Head Coach and General Manager|access-date=December 19, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, Thibault became the all-time WNBA leader with his 212th head-coaching victory.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/wnba/story/_/id/9465778/wnba-mike-thibault-keeps-winning-wnba|title=Thibault is winningest WNBA coach|publisher=ESPN|access-date=December 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Career==
He began his coaching career at [[Bellarmine College Preparatory]], where he coached the freshman B team.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bellarmine College Prep Announces 2023 Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102005244/https://www.bcp.org/news/bellarmine-college-prep-announces-2023-alumni-hall-fame-inductees |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=Bellarmine College Preparatory}}</ref> Thibault then had stints at [[Archbishop Mitty High School]] in [[San Jose, California|San José]], [[Santa Cruz High School]], [[Cabrillo College]] and [[Saint Martin's University|Saint Martin's College]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1982-06-24 |title=Now, Thibault works with the older ‘kids’ |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SCS19820624&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=Santa Cruz Sentinel}}</ref>

In 1979, Thibault entered into the employ of the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] of the [[National Basketball Association]], for whom he worked first as a [[Scout (sport)|scout]] and, after [[1980 in sports|1980]], as director of scouting and as an assistant coach; during Thibault's tenure, the Lakers twice won the [[NBA Finals|league championship]].

Thibault left the Lakers for the [[Chicago Bulls]] in [[1982 in sports|1982]] and remained with the latter organization through the [[1985-86 NBA season|1985-86 season]], serving as an assistant coach and director of scouting; under Thibault, the team [[sports draft|drafted]] [[shooting guard]] [[Michael Jordan]] and [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Charles Oakley]] and acquired [[John Paxson]], each of whom would contribute to the Bulls' earning six league championships between [[1990–91 NBA season|1991]] and [[1998-99 NBA season|1999]].

Thibault left the NBA for the [[World Basketball League]] in [[1988 in sports|1988]] and served for two [[regular season|season]]s as the head coach and [[sports franchise|franchise]] [[general manager]] for the Calgary 88's, winning the league's coach of the year award in 1988.

In [[1989 in sports|1989]], Thibault began an eight-year stint as general manager and head coach of the [[Omaha Racers]] of the [[Continental Basketball Association]], in which capacity he led the team to the league [[playoff]]s in each season; his team claimed the [[1993 in sports|1993]] championship and once more reached the league finals [[1994 in sports|one year thence]].

Contemporaneously, Thibault worked for [[USA Basketball]] as a coach for the [[United States national basketball team|United States national team]], leading the national side to a [[gold medal]] at the [[1993 in sports|1993]] [[FIBA World Championship]] [[group tournament|qualifying tournament]] and a [[silver medal]] at the [[1995 in sports|1995]] [[Pan American Games]].

Thibault returned to the NBA during the league's [[1997-98 NBA season|1997-98]] season and, through [[2003 in sports|2003]], served as a scout and assistant coach for each of the [[Atlanta Hawks]], [[New York Knicks]], and [[Seattle SuperSonics]]; most prominently, Thibault spent four seasons with the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] as an advisor and assistant to [[George Karl]].
[[File:Thibault-Whalen-20180919.jpg|left|thumb|Wearing a [[University of Minnesota]] tie, Thibault hugs [[Lindsay Whalen]] at her retirement in 2018]]
Thibault was hired by the Sun in March 2003 to replace [[Dee Brown (basketball, born 1968)|Dee Brown]]; Thibault garnered the [[WNBA Coach of the Year Award]] subsequent to the [[2006 WNBA season|2006 season]], when he led the Sun to the [[Women's National Basketball Association#Eastern Conference|Eastern Conference]] finals.   Thibault would again win the award in [[2008 WNBA season|2008]] with the Sun.

On December 18, 2012, Thibault was introduced as the new head coach & general manager of the Washington Mystics. He led a revival of the team, getting them to the playoffs and earning a win there for the first time since 2004. For his efforts, Thibault once again earned the Coach of the Year award, joining [[Van Chancellor]] as the only coaches to win the award three times.<ref name="Three times"/><ref name="Thibault COY"/>

On July 7, 2018, when the Mystics beat the [[Los Angeles Sparks]], Thibault became the first WNBA coach to reach 300 wins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnba.com/photos/mike-thibaults-career-in-photos/|title=Mike Thibault's Career in Photos|website=wnba.com|publisher=WNBA|date=July 7, 2018|access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> 

In 2019, Thibault finally won his first WNBA championship as a head coach. He guided the Mystics to the team's first-ever championship in the [[2019 WNBA Finals]], as they defeated the [[Connecticut Sun]]. After the 2022 season, Thibault retired as head coach of the Mystics but remained general manager. His son, [[Eric Thibault|Eric]], succeeded him as head coach.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/wnba-connecticut-sun-fairfield-stags-18167994.php | title=Former CT Sun coach Mike Thibault's family coaching tradition | website=www.ctinsider.com}}</ref> Both were relieved of their duties on October 23, 2024, following the WNBA season.<ref>{{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=2024-11-04 |website=mystics.wnba.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Basketball==
=== USA ===
[[File:Mike Thibault.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Thibault in 2011]]
Thibault served as an assistant coach for the USA National team in 2006, a team in transition. Lisa Leslie, who had led the team in scoring in the 2004 Olympics, the 2002 World Championships, the 2000 Olympics, the 1998 World Championships, and the 1996 Olympics was no longer on the team. Sheryl Swoopes was available but hampered by injuries, with Staley transitioning from player to coach. Newcomers [[Sue Bird]], [[Candace Parker]] and [[Diana Taurasi]] picked up the slack, but it was a team in transition. As an additional challenge, some members of the squad were unable to join the team for practices due to [[WNBA]] commitments. The team started out strong, winning each of the six preliminary games, including the game against Russia. In the quarterfinals, the USA team beat Spain 90–56. The semifinal was a rematch against Russia, but this time the Russian team prevailed, 75–68. The USA faced Brazil in the bronze medal game, and won easily 99–59.<ref name="World 2006"/>

=== Belgium ===
At the end of January 2025 Thibault was contracted to be head coach of the [[Belgium|Belgian]] women's national basketball team [[Belgian Cats]]. He has to lead the team to the [[2028 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]].  He succeeded [[Rachid Meziane]], who had taken a position with the American [[Women's National Basketball Association]]'s [[Connecticut Sun]], a club that Thibault had previously coached. In June 2025 he coached the Belgian Cats to their second European title at the [[EuroBasket Women 2025]].

==Personal==
Thibault grew up in [[Hastings, Minnesota]]. At age six, he moved to the [[San Francisco Bay Area|South San Francisco Bay Area]]. He attended [[Bellarmine College Preparatory]] in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and then studied at [[San Jose State University|San José State University]], [[Santa Clara University]] and [[Saint Martin's University|Saint Martin's College]].<ref name=":0" /> In 2023, he was inducted into the Bellarmine College Preparatory Hall of Fame.<ref name=":1" />

Thibault and his wife, Nanci, have two children. Their son, [[Eric Thibault|Eric]], succeeded his father as head coach of the Mystics, serving in that role from 2023 to 2024. Their daughter, [[Carly Thibault-DuDonis|Carly]], was named head coach at [[Fairfield Stags women's basketball|Fairfield University]] on April 11, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carly Thibault-DuDonis Named Head Coach of Fairfield Women's Basketball |url=https://fairfieldstags.com/news/2022/4/11/womens-basketball-carly-thibault-dudonis-named-head-coach-of-fairfield-womens-basketball.aspx |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=Fairfield University Athletics |date=11 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==Coaching Record==
{{NBA coach statistics legend}}
{{NBA coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[2003 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2003 WNBA season|2003]]
|34||18||16||.529|| align="center" |3rd in East||4||2||2||.500
| align="center" |Lost in [[2003 WNBA season|Conference finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2004 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2004 WNBA season|2004]]
|34||18||16||.529|| align="center" |1st in East||8||5||3||.625
| align="center" |Lost in [[2004 WNBA Finals|WNBA Finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2005 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2005 WNBA season|2005]]
| 34|| 26|| 8||.765|| align="center" |1st in East ||8||5||3||.625
| align="center" |Lost in [[2005 WNBA Finals|WNBA Finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2006 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2006 WNBA season|2006]]
| 34|| 26|| 8||.765|| align="center" |1st in East ||5||3||2||.600
| align="center" |Lost in [[2006 WNBA Playoffs|Conference finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2007 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2007 WNBA season|2007]]
| 34|| 18|| 16||.529|| align="center" |3rd in East || 3|| 1|| 2||.333
| align="center" |Lost in [[2007 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2008 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2008 WNBA season|2008]]
| 34|| 21|| 13||.618|| align="center" |2nd in East ||3 ||1 ||2 ||.333
| align="center" |Lost in [[2008 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2009 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2009 WNBA season|2009]]
| 34|| 16|| 18||.471|| align="center" |6th in East ||— ||— ||— ||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2010 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2010 WNBA season|2010]]
| 34|| 17|| 17|| .500 || align="center" |5th in East || —||— || —||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2011 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2011 WNBA season|2011]]
| 34|| 21|| 13||.618|| align="center" |2nd in East || 2||0 ||2 ||.000
| align="center" |Lost in [[2011 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2012 Connecticut Sun season|CON]]
| align="left" |[[2012 WNBA season|2012]]
| 34|| 25|| 9||.735|| align="center" |1st in East ||5 ||3 ||2 ||{{winning percentage|3|2}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2012 WNBA Playoffs|Conference finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2013 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2013 WNBA season|2013]]
| 34|| 17|| 17|| .500 || align="center" |3rd in East ||3 ||1 ||2 ||{{winning percentage|1|2}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2013 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2014 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2014 WNBA season|2014]]
| 34|| 16|| 18||.471|| align="center" |3rd in East ||2 ||0 ||2 ||.000
| align="center" |Lost in [[2014 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2015 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2015 WNBA season|2015]]
| 34|| 18|| 16||{{winning percentage|18|16}}|| align="center" |4th in East ||3 ||1 ||2 ||{{winning percentage|1|2}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2015 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2016 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2016 WNBA season|2016]]
| 34|| 13|| 21||{{winning percentage|13|21}}|| align="center" |6th in East ||- ||- ||- ||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2017 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2017 WNBA season|2017]]
| 34|| 18|| 16||{{winning percentage|18|16}}|| align="center" |3rd in East || 5 || 2 || 3 ||{{winning percentage|2|3}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2017 WNBA Playoffs|Semifinals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2018 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2018 WNBA season|2018]]
| 34 || 22 || 12 || {{winning percentage|22|12}}|| align="center" | 2nd in East || 9 || 4 || 5 || {{winpct|4|5}}
| align="center" | Lost in [[2018 WNBA Finals|WNBA Finals]]
|-! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" |[[2019 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2019 WNBA season|2019]]
| 34 || 26 || 8 || {{winning percentage|26|8}}|| align="center" | 1st in East || 9 || 6 || 3 || {{winpct|6|3}}
| align="center" | '''Won [[2019 WNBA Finals|WNBA Championship]]'''
|-! 
| align="left" |[[2020 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2020 WNBA season|2020]]
| 22 || 9 || 13 || {{winning percentage|9|13}}|| align="center" | 3rd in East || 1 || 0 || 1 || {{winpct|0|1}}
| align="center" | Lost in [[2020 WNBA Playoffs|First round]]
|-! 
| align="left" |[[2021 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2021 WNBA season|2021]]
| 32 || 12 || 20 || {{winning percentage|12|20}}|| align="center" | 4th in East ||- ||- ||- || {{winpct|0|0}}
| align="center" | Missed Playoffs
|-! 
| align="left" |[[2022 Washington Mystics season|WAS]]
| align="left" |[[2022 WNBA season|2022]]
| 36 || 22 || 14 || {{winning percentage|22|14}}|| align="center" | 3rd in East || 0 || 0 || 2 || {{winpct|0|2}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2022 WNBA Playoffs|First round]]
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |'''Career'''
| || 688 || 379 || 289 ||{{winning percentage|379|289}}|| || 72 || 34 || 38 || {{winning percentage|34|38}}||
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=<ref name="World 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/wwc_2006.html |date=September 12–23, 2006 |title=Fifteenth World Championship for Women -- 2006 |publisher=USA Basketball |access-date=May 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525135228/http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/wwc_2006.html |archive-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Three times">{{cite news|title=Mystics' Mike Thibault named WNBA Coach of the Year|date=September 21, 2013|agency=AP|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=September 22, 2013|url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/mystics/2013/09/21/washington-mystics-mike-thibault-wnba-coach-of-the-year/2848103/}}</ref>

<ref name="Thibault COY">{{cite web|last=Michaelson|first=Lee|date=September 21, 2013|title=Mystics' Thibault picks up third WNBA Coach-of-the-Year Award|url=http://www.fullcourt.com/wnba/24062/mystics-thibault-picks-third-wnba-coach-year-award|work=FullCourt.com|publisher=Lee Michaelson|access-date=September 23, 2013}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130604151832/http://www.wnba.com/coachfile/mike_thibault/index.html?nav=page WNBA.com profile]

{{navboxes|list=
{{Los Angeles Lakers 1979-80 NBA champions}}
{{Los Angeles Lakers 1981-82 NBA champions}}
{{United States squad 1993 FIBA Americas Championship}}
{{United States Men Basketball Squad 1995 Pan American Games}}
{{WNBA Coach of the Year Award}}
{{Washington Mystics 2019 WNBA champions}}
{{Washington Mystics}}
{{Connecticut Sun}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thibault, Mike}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada]]
[[Category:American women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Chicago Bulls assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Connecticut Sun coaches]]
[[Category:Continental Basketball Association coaches]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Washington Mystics head coaches]]
[[Category:Washington Mystics coaches]]
[[Category:United States men's national basketball team coaches]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association championship–winning head coaches]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association general managers]]
[[Category:Saint Martin's University alumni]]
[[Category:Coaches at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]