Though Thibault is embarking on a new journey as the new Associate Head Coach of the Minnesota Lynx, he has some familiarity with the state and organization that gives him a sense of “completing the circle.”
When the 2024 WNBA season concluded, Eric Thibault found out that his time with a franchise he spent the last 12 years of his career with — and won a championship with — was also coming to an end.
Thibault, along with his dad Mike as General Manager, parted ways with the Washington Mystics, a place Thibault spent the last two seasons as head coach and the previous 10 seasons as an assistant.
As a result, Thibault was looking for a new home to continue his coaching career. And when that phone rang with Cheryl Reeve on the other end, Thibault ended up jumping at the opportunity to become the Associate Head Coach of the Minnesota Lynx — a place that he is awfully familiar with despite not ever living in the state.
Minnesota Ties
Not only is Thibault familiar with the Lynx after the countless battles between the Mystics and Lynx over the years, but he is also familiar with Minnesota as well, with many family ties to the state.
Thibault’s dad, Mike, was born in St. Paul, and there are many Thibault family members still living in Minnesota. Thibault has also known fellow Lynx assistant coach and Lynx legend Lindsay Whalen since he was in high school, with his dad later drafting Whalen with the Connecticut Sun in 2004. To go along with that, Thibault’s sister Carly was an assistant on Whalen’s coaching staff at the University of Minnesota from 2018-22.
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“A lot of (my dad’s) extended family is still here. I don’t even know how many, to be honest with you. We’re talking hundreds of Thibaults around the state,” Thibault said on the Hitting the Hardwood Podcast with Mitchell Hansen. “I’ve said it’s kind of as comfortable as you can be with a place without having actually lived here for myself.
“I guess I’m kind of completing the circle now.”
The familiarity with the state and the connections he already has inside and outside of the Lynx organization made this latest chapter in Thibault’s life easier to take on. After all, this is new for him after being part of the Mystics organization since 2013.
“It just feels familiar, it feels natural,” he said. “I feel like I understand the people. … It feels comfortable, it feels like a place where I want to be, and that was obviously a major bonus of being here.”
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Though the connections to Minnesota are great, it wasn’t the only reason Thibault wanted to be part of the Lynx coaching staff and team. He saw a real opportunity in Minnesota, spearheaded by a special team that broke onto the scene in 2024.
“I hit the ground here early April, and not too long after it was the draft, and then training camp was right around the corner. It’s been good,” Thibault said of his time in Minnesota so far. “This is such a great group of people. The culture they have built here, it’s easy for a newcomer to come in and get a feel for the place. I’m happy we’re back on the court with a majority of our group ready to go.”
What He Brings to the Table
Aside from his connections to the state, Thibault has gotten to know the entire Lynx coaching staff better over the years. As mentioned, his ties to Whalen go way back. His relationship and respect for Reeve have grown over the years with their countless battles against each other. And his familiarity with Brunson goes back to her playing days when Thibault was helping scheme to try and stop The Machine in the paint.
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“It’s hugely appealing to be here and work with those people. I’ve known Lindsay a long time. BB I’ve gotten to know her even more since she’s been done playing, though we had to coach against her for a bunch of years,” Thibault said. “I think Cheryl wants strong people who have a voice and are about the team and putting egos to the side. It’s probably been one of the biggest joys so far, other than just getting to know our players.
“I get to go everyday to work knowing that I’m happy with the people I’m working with. That was a hugely attractive part of coming here.”
When it comes to what he brings to the table as Associate Head Coach, Thibault believes he brings a mix of knowledge, skill, and experience that will fit in nicely on Reeve’s staff to go along with his championship success. Right out of the gate, that will include some advanced scouting and working with players to help them in their development during the season and year-round, among other things.
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“I hope I bring things in a few different areas. Probably the thing I love most is getting on the court with players and helping them develop. … Really thinking about how I can contribute to each player getting a bit better and how it fits into the team,” Thibault said. “I’ve been around this league a long time and understand what winning basketball looks like. I think Cheryl and I have very similar ideas about the values of a good team basketball-wise, and what works. … My main job as an assistant is to try and help build and continue the culture and vision that has been laid down here.”
Expectations for 2025
It’s not only a new WNBA season, but it’s a whole new endeavor for Thibault in Minnesota. And he hopes he can not only help continue the success that the Lynx have had, notably in 2024, but help push them beyond that in 2025.
“Championship is the goal. It is a team that has that in mind every day when we walk into the building. … Our goal is to get better every day,” Thibault said. “The goals that you have at the end of the season get in reach a lot faster if you just focus on improving. That’s what they had success with, that’s what we had success with our best team in (Washington) DC, and that’s where we’re going to spend our focus.”
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At this time a year ago, in a preseason game against the Lynx, Thibault was watching Minnesota as the opposition and could notice something special was already building with the Lynx. Something that led to a historic season that resulted in an appearance in the WNBA Finals.
Now in 2025, Thibault is on the other side of things as part of the Lynx. And he feels right at home in Minnesota as he attempts to help his new team hoist the trophy at the end of the year.
“It’s so obvious to walk into a gym and see a team that knows who they are. Not only culturally, and how they act towards each other, which is really easy to say and hard to do. The way they treat each other and the way that they play for each other,” Thibault said. “There’s such a clarity to what they expect in themselves and their teammates. I’m looking forward to watching it come together.”
Listen to the Full Hitting the Hardwood Podcast!
Dive into the entire episode of the Hitting the Hardwood Podcast with Eric Thibault as he and Mitchell Hansen discuss training camp so far, what Thibault’s time in Minnesota has been like, the 2025 season for the Lynx, and much more!