Quick Facts
LeoBiography
Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American women's professional basketball coach, currently the head coach of WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. He has been the head coach of two other professional women's teams, and won four professional titles as coach.
Early Years
Agler attended college at Wittenberg University in Ohio, where he helped the Tigers win the 1977 Division III NCAA Championship as a point guard. He graduated in 1980. He received his master's degree in education from Pittsburg State University in 1985.
Coaching
Columbus Quest
As head coach of the Columbus Quest of the American Basketball League, Agler led the team to a combined 82-22 record and two ABL Championships. He was named ABL Coach of the Year in 1997.
Minnesota Lynx
After the ABL collapsed in late 1998, Agler made the shift to the WNBA. He became the first head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, piloting them to a 48-67 record from 1999-2002.
Phoenix & San Antonio
He served as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Mercury in the 2004 season, then with the San Antonio Silver Stars from 2005 to 2007.
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm named Agler head coach on January 9, 2008. He succeeded Anne Donovan. who resigned in November 2007. Agler was the general manager and head coach for the Seattle Storm until 2014, leading them to their second championship in 2010.
Los Angeles Sparks
On January 5, 2015, it was announced that Agler would become the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Agler guided the 2015 version of the Sparks to a 14-20 record and a 4th-place finish in the WNBA's Western Conference.
On October 20, 2016, Agler guided the Sparks to their third WNBA championship, defeating the Lynx, 77-76, in the decisive Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals, thereby winning the league championship series, 3-2. He became the first head coach to win WNBA titles with two different teams.
Coaching record
| Legend | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win-loss % | |
| Post season | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win-loss % | |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | 1999 | 32 | 15 | 17 | .469 | 4th in West | - | - | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
| MIN | 2000 | 32 | 15 | 17 | .469 | 6th in West | - | - | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
| MIN | 2001 | 32 | 12 | 20 | .375 | 6th in West | - | - | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
| MIN | 2002 | 19 | 6 | 13 | .316 | 8th in West | - | - | - | - | Fired Mid-Season |
| SEA | 2008 | 34 | 22 | 12 | .647 | 2nd in West | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| SEA | 2009 | 34 | 22 | 12 | .647 | 2nd in West | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| SEA | 2010 | 34 | 28 | 6 | .824 | 1st in West | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | Won WNBA Finals |
| SEA | 2011 | 34 | 21 | 13 | .618 | 2nd in West | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| SEA | 2012 | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | 4th in West | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| SEA | 2013 | 34 | 17 | 17 | .500 | 4th in West | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| SEA | 2014 | 34 | 12 | 22 | .353 | 5th in West | - | - | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
| LA | 2015 | 34 | 14 | 20 | .412 | 4th in West | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| LA | 2016 | 34 | 26 | 8 | .765 | 2nd in West | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | Won Championship |
| Career | 421 | 224 | 197 | .532 | 28 | 18 | 15 | .545 |
Personal life
He now lives in Ohio, while still coaching the Sparks during the summer.
Agler's son, Bryce, is currently a women's assistant basketball coach at Eastern Illinois University.