The Spurs had absolutely no interest in starting a revolution when they hired Becky Hammon as the first full-time female assistant coach in the history of U.S. professional sports.
Indeed, they didn’t reference her gender at all when announcing the hire last August. And as Gregg Popovich would say later, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman,” Popovich said. “It’s the same pick-and-roll.”
Others were apparently watching. As noted last week by Fortune magazine, no fewer than six other women have since attained prominent positions within the bounds of professional sports:
* Sarah Thomas, NFL referee
* Jen Welter, NFL coaching intern
* Beth Mowins, NFL broadcast announcer
* Nancy Lieberman, NBA assistant coach
* Jessica Mendoza, MLB broadcast announcer
* Jessica Siegal, MLB instructional coach
It certainly could be a coincidence.