Heading West: Westhead named coach of Mercury

Westhead, the fifth coach in the brief history of the Mercury, replaces former coach Carrie Graf, who did not have her contract renewed at the end of the regular season in early September. He signed a multi-year contract with terms of the deal not released.

"This is a very exciting day for the Phoenix Mercury and our fans," said Mercury general manager Seth Sulka. "Paul’s extensive experience in the professional game, as well as being an excellent communicator and accomplished teacher, will be a huge benefit to the Mercury organization as we strive to bring a championship to the city."

Under Graf, the Mercury missed the playoffs the last two years. Phoenix ended last season 16-18 and went 33-35 overall under Graf.

Westhead guided the Los Angeles Lakers to the 1980 NBA title and is a veteran of more than 30 years of coaching at the professional and college levels. Most recently he served as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Orlando Magic for the last two seasons.

He served as head coach of the Lakers from 1979-82. He has also been the head coach for Chicago and Denver.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for me to coach in the WNBA and be a part of the Phoenix organization," said Westhead. "I am confident that I can help move the Mercury forward and get into the mix of the playoffs and beyond. I love the game of basketball and have dedicated the majority of my life to it. I want to share what I know about the game with the players here and together help make the Mercury successful."

Known for his high-scoring, fast-paced offenses, Westhead has also guided collegiate programs at LaSalle, Loyola Marymount and George Mason, leading Loyola Marymount to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure at the school.