SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sonny Allen resigned Monday after 2½
seasons as coach of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs.
Assistant coach Maura McHugh, a longtime college coach and the
former director of player personnel for the defunct ABL, will take
Allen's place.
Allen led the Monarchs to a 46-30 record and the only playoff
berths in their history since joining the team in 1999. This
season, he was unable to spark Sacramento's talented roster -- which
includes All-Stars Yolanda Griffith and Ticha Penicheiro -- to a
strong start.
The Monarchs won 85-82 in Charlotte on Sunday to improve to 6-6
this season -- a disappointing mark, since Sacramento expected to
claim a spot among the league's elite this season.
Allen said his departure also marks his retirement from
coaching.
"When you are coaching, you reach a point when you decide it's
time to retire," said Allen, whose coaching career spanned six
decades. "This is never an easy decision for a coach or a player.
Right now is the right time for me."
Allen had shown increased frustration in recent weeks,
particularly after his team's three losses at Arco Arena -- the same
number of home losses they had all last season.
"My decision stems from the stress I have put upon myself,"
Allen said. "Though we were at .500, I hated losing more than I
enjoyed winning."
Allen is a coaching veteran with more than 600 victories at the
professional, college and high school levels of men's and women's
basketball, in addition to time as an NBA scout. He started his
coaching career at Marshall High School in West Virginia in 1959.
McHugh joined the Monarchs as Allen's assistant prior to the
1999 season. Before taking her league position with the ABL, she
coached the Long Beach StingRays in the 1997-98 season, leading
them to a 32-22 record and a berth in the league title game.
Assistant coaches Jim Les and Steve Shuman will remain with the
team, McHugh said.
"I know that this will be a big challenge," McHugh said.
"It's a very tough league this year. However, I feel we have a
great franchise, top management and a superb group of players. I am
confident the rest of the coaching staff will help me get through
this transition period."
McHugh has a career head coaching record of 249-157 at Arizona
State, Oklahoma and Penn State.
Sacramento's next game is against Houston on Thursday.
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