Sun tab Rachid Meziane as head coach
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Paris 2024 Olympics - Basketball - Women's Bronze Medal Game - Belgium vs Australia - Bercy Arena, Paris, France - August 11, 2024. Belgium's coach Rachid Meziane of France looks on REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
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The Connecticut Sun named Rachid Meziane as the franchise's seventh head coach on Wednesday.
Meziane, 44, has coached professionally in his native France and also leads the Belgian women's national team. He succeeds Stephanie White, who left Connecticut to assume the head coaching position with the Indiana Fever.
The announcement for Meziane came one day after the Sun tabbed former WNBA and UConn player Morgan Tuck as their new general manager.
"(Meziane) brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a proven track record of success that will help elevate our players and team as a whole," Tuck said in a statement. "Rachid's dedication and commitment to growing women's basketball, internationally and domestically, brings a unique perspective both on and off the court that aligns with the values and vision of our organization."
Meziane coached Villeneuve d'Ascq since 2019, leading the club to the Ligue Feminine de Basketball (LFB) Championship and a EuroLeague runner-up finish during the 2023-24 season.
He has coached the Belgium national team since 2022 and guided it to the FIBA European women's championship (EuroBasket) gold medal in 2023.
"I am honored to represent a franchise like the Connecticut Sun, a team and organization with a rich history and a passionate fan base," Meziane said. "I look forward to working with our talented roster and assembling a dedicated coaching staff, as we continue to build upon the Sun's legacy and strive for a championship."
The Sun followed up a 28-12 regular season this year by losing in five games to the Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals.
--Field Level Media REUTERS
