- Don Zierden
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Don Zierden is an assistant basketball coach for the Washington Wizards. From 2007 to 2009, Zierden served as the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA.
Zierden, a Minneapolis native, became the Minnesota Lynx's fifth head coach on December 13, 2006, replacing Carolyn Jenkins, who will remain on the staff as an assistant. Before taking the Lynx job, Zierden served as an assistant with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons. Zierden was also the head coach for the CBA's Pittsburgh Piranhas in 1994.
In 2007, Zierden's Lynx began the season 0–7, lost 10 straight in July and failed to get into the playoff race. They finished tied with a league worst 10–24 record.
On June 2, 2009, Zierden resigned as head coach of the Lynx. He accepted an assistant coaching job under Flip Saunders in Washington.
Quotes
- “With our team, I thought we would shoot the basketball a little better. I thought we would defend a little better at times. Those have been the biggest surprises and disappointments." — Zierden on the 2007 Lynx [1]
- “She has been utterly fantastic. She has taken fewer shots this year and her numbers are up across the board. We told her coming in that we needed her to take fewer shots because we needed more balance to be a successful team, and she's been great about that. Any success this team is going to have down the road, she is going to be a big part of it." — Zierden on Seimone Augustus [2]
- “I miss the charter flights, the huge per diem and the huge salary. That's what I miss (laughs). I don't miss the 82-game schedule, where you are flying all over the place and really missing out on your family." — Zierden on the NBA vs. WNBA [3]
Preceded by
Carolyn JenkinsMinnesota Lynx Head Coach
2007-2009Succeeded by
Jennifer GillomWashington Wizards current roster Head coach: F. Saunders | Assistant coaches: Wittman | Zierden | Cassell | Unseld | R. Saunders | Wells | Banks
East Atlantic: BOS · NY · NJ · PHI · TOR Southeast: ATL · CHA · MIA · ORL · WAS Central: CHI · CLE · DET · IND · MIL
West Northwest: POR · MIN · OKC · DEN · UT Southwest: DAL · HOU · MEM · NO · SA Pacific: GS · LAC · LAL · PHX · SACExternal links
Categories:- Living people
- American basketball coaches
- Continental Basketball Association coaches
- Minnesota Lynx coaches
- Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coaches
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