Phoenix Mercury announce assistant coaches, new front office leadership

Dec 13, 2013, 7:27 PM | Updated: 7:27 pm

The Phoenix Mercury announced Friday that Suns President Jason Rowley will assume the role of Mercury president of business operations and that Suns Executive Vice President Jim Pitman will undertake the role of general manager for the WNBA team.

In addition, the Mercury announced Julie Hairgrove and Anthony Boone will return as assistant coaches, this time for Sandy Brondello, who was hired as head coach and vice president of player personnel on Nov. 15, replacing interim coach Russ Pennell.

Brondello previously was as an assistant for the Los Angeles Sparks and a head coach in 2010 for the San Antonio Silver Stars. Hairgrove has served as a Mercury assistant for nine seasons, and has been a part of the team’s two championships. Boone was added to the coaching staff in August after four seasons as an assistant at Grand Canyon University.

Rowley has been a senior executive with the Suns for more than seven years, and became the team’s president in 2012.

Pitman has served as a Suns executive for 22 years and has been involved with the Mercury since the team’s inception in 1997. He helped direct the Mercury’s last two coaching searches. He and Brondello will now oversee all aspects of the team’s basketball operations.

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