Mike Thibault hired as Belgian Cats head coach

Thibault replaces Rachid Meziane, who was named head coach of the Connecticut Sun in December.

“Mike Thibault is a fantastic coach and his profile fits perfectly with what we had envisioned,” Belgian Cats general manager Koen Umans said in the team’s press release (which was translated from French to English through Google Translate). “He has proven throughout his career that he is a real winner and that he is a coach who can give a team that extra boost. He has a lot of experience at the highest level and has excellent management skills. He fits perfectly into our culture and current structure.

“We are therefore extremely proud and excited that Thibault has chosen to take on this challenge with the Cats.”

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Thibault’s career began in 1977 as a scout for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. He became an assistant coach in 1980 — coaching stars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — and won NBA titles in 1980 and 1982. He then moved on to coaching positions with other NBA teams as well as in the now-defunct World Basketball League.

Thibault transitioned to the WNBA in 2003 and became the head coach of the Connecticut Sun. Throughout his first 10 years in the league, he led his team to the playoffs eight times and the Finals twice, in 2004 and 2005. He won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2008.

However, he was fired in 2012 after not winning a championship. Subsequently, in an effort to rebuild their franchise, the Washington Mystics hired Thibault as their head coach and general manager. Thibault led the Mystics to multiple playoff appearances, including the franchise’s first WNBA Finals appearance in 2018 and its first championship in 2019.

Thibault retired from his head coaching position in 2022 as the winningest coach in WNBA history, with 413 wins across the regular season and playoffs. He passed the baton to his son and associate head coach, Eric Thibault. While he was no longer coaching, he retained his title of general manager. Following the 2024 season, both Thibaults mutually parted ways with Washington.

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During his tenure in Washington, Mike Thibault drafted or signed several Belgian players. Most notably, he selected Belgian forward and future WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman in the second round of the 2013 WNBA Draft. He also drafted then-19-year-old Nastja Claessens in the third round in 2024. As free agents, he signed guard Kim Mestdagh, who played on the 2019 championship team, and guard Julie Vanloo, who had a breakout rookie season in 2024 at age 31 before the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the expansion draft in December.

Thibault also gained experience coaching internationally throughout his time in the WNBA. He served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2008 and 2024 Olympics, winning gold both times. Team USA faced the Cats in the 2024 Olympics, winning 87-74, and in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, winning 81-79.

The Belgian Cats have a busy year ahead: They’ll wrap up FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers in early February, aiming to qualify again for the European championship in June. (Meesseman, Vanloo and Claessens are all on Belgium’s preliminary roster for the February games.) But Thibault is up for the challenge.

“I am honored to be the new coach of the Cats,” Thibault said in the release (as translated from French). “The tremendous growth of this team has been recognized and respected around the world and I have had the privilege of witnessing it first-hand.

“It is a team whose key players are at the peak of their careers and I am looking forward to playing for trophies in the years to come. I will do everything to get the best out of this special group. So I would like to thank Basketball Belgium for their trust and I am ready to get to work!”

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