It’s something he and the franchise he represents lean into. They embody tennis legend Billie Jean King’s iconic quote, “Pressure is a privilege.”
Kolb, the Liberty general manager, knew when making what he called a “bold” decision to fire Sandy Brondello this week that it would come with some scrutiny and plenty of questions.
Kolb did his best to answer some of those questions Thursday, when speaking to reporters for the first time since the season ended.
And it was abundantly clear that Kolb understands the momentous importance of what happens next.
“We need to nail this,” Kolb said in referencing his third coaching search since he stepped into office in 2019.
Kolb felt like the Liberty were confronting a “fork-in-the-road moment,” despite only being a year removed from their first WNBA title.
“You can stand still,” Kolb said, “or you can embrace change and move forward.”
Kolb chose to do the latter Tuesday, when he decided to not pick up the team option on Brondello’s contract for 2026 and to end a four-year relationship that peaked with a celebratory parade up Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes last fall.
“This decision was in no way punitive, nor was it reactive, but it’s instead rooted in being proactive. Nor was this decision based solely on the results this past season,” Kolb said. “Ultimately we determined that evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time.
Brondello was widely believed to be on the hot seat in 2024, but the Liberty winning a title seemingly bought her time. Kolb said the organization leaned into continuity this season by bringing Brondello back with the team’s core.
The Liberty opened 2025 with a franchise-best 9-0 start before injuries impeded them. They finished 27-17 and in fifth place before being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Mercury.
Brondello’s sometimes questionable rotation decisions and conservative use of the bench, especially down the stretch, were points of contention.
She was outcoached at times throughout the season and, most notably, during the first round of the playoffs.
Players backed Brondello after the stunning Game 3 loss, but Kolb, in his commitment to “keep pushing the New York Liberty to new heights,” felt it was necessary to bring a “freshness and an energy” to the group, anchored by Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.
The Liberty are going to take their time in finding Brondello’s replacement. Kolb said they have a “very clear vision” of qualities their ideal candidate would possess, though he kept specifics close to his vest, he said, to avoid people from taking his comments as shade toward Brondello.
Part of being innovative is having a coach that understands modern basketball principles on both sides of the ball.
Sources have said the Liberty are interested in a candidate with NBA experience, and Kolb acknowledged as such when he said Brondello’s successor doesn’t need to have prior WNBA experience.
“I don’t think we want to limit our scope on a candidate,” he said. “We want to have a really diverse pool of candidates to speak with.”
The Liberty have led the way with having a larger, more robust front office staff. They also revel in their top-notch player experience and are building a 75,000-square-foot practice facility that’s set to open in 2027.
The WNBA’s landscape is changing. For years, premier coaching candidates were slim pickings, in part because of the league and teams’ lack of resources. But that’s not the case now.
“Candidates are now looking at this league not as a stepping stone but as a destination,” Kolb said, “and that should be tremendously exciting, and so for me, I feel that the pool is vast.”
There’s no taking away Brondello’s impact on the Liberty. She leaves as the franchise’s all-time winningest coach, and her name is forever etched in the team’s history as the first coach to take the Liberty to the league’s ultimate triumph.
But the Liberty want a new voice to lead them into their next era.
