“He meant business. He did not play. But you realized he believed in you. And that helped you believe in yourself,” said former USF guard Jasmine Wynne in regards to Jose Fernandez. After a college basketball coaching career that ran for a quarter century, Fernandez is now joining the big leagues. It was only a few hours ago when it was announced that the 53-year-old is being eyed as the next head coach of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings. In light of this, the impact Fernandez leaves behind in college basketball is being remembered today, especially by the team to whom he gave 25 years of his life.

A few hours ago, Rob Higgins, the CEO of Athletics at the University of South Florida, put out a statement. Through the same, he highlighted that Jose Fernandez informed him of his decision “to pursue an opportunity to coach at the next level in the WNBA”.

Higgins praised the 53-year-old for being an “exceptional leader, mentor, and advocate for the University of South Florida”. Before announcing Michele-Woods Baxter as the interim head coach, Higgins concluded his praise for Fernandez, stating, “His impact on USF Athletics and our university community is profound, and his legacy will be remembered and celebrated for years to come”.

There is no denying that the Dallas Wings have entered a new era now, following Paige Bueckers’ signing. The attention of the world is now on this team, as seen by how Bueckers’ debut game with the Wings, aka the team’s opening-night game against the Minnesota Lynx, brought in over 612,000 viewers. This was a 121 percent increase over a comparable window from the previous season.

Therefore, the need of the hour was for a coach who could leave a memorable mark. Jose Fernandez might very well be that person.

Jose Fernandez, when and if the official announcement is made, will be taking over from Chris Koclanes, who served as head coach of the Dallas Wings for just one season. Despite having Paige Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick and winner of the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year title, on the roster, the Wings recorded a 10-34 run, aka the worst one, in this recent regular season.

As for the 25 years that Jose Fernandez served as head coach for the South Florida Bulls, the women’s basketball team went on a 485-317 run. Additionally, he has also taken USF to nine of the past 12 NCAA Tournaments, got them to make 9 WNIT appearances, and 2 AAC championship titles. He was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2021.

While no South Florida roster won the NCAA championship under his leadership, Fernandez still leaves as the program’s all-time winningest coach. The hire would certainly leave Dallas Wings fans excited, while fans of the South Florida Bulls women’s basketball team are definitely sad over this departure. Nothing made that more clear than their remarks on social media.

College Basketball Fans And USF Officials Pay Tribute To Jose Fernandez

Amongst the people who reacted to the news was former basketball player turned analyst Rachel Galligan. She wrote, “Huge news that’s rocks all of WBB. Jose has built a massive legacy not just at USF but globally with his expertise in the game. I’m so thrilled for him and his family.”

Having earlier served as an assistant coach at Ball State University for 3 seasons, Galligan was quite aware of the impact that a head coach like Jose Fernandez had. More than competition, he stood out as an inspiration to other aspiring coaches. Therefore, both as a former coach and as an analyst, Galligan has followed Fernandez quite closely. She even once said that “I learned this a long time ago… when @CoachJFernandez give you a rec… you LISTEN! Doesn’t matter where you are in the word he’s gonna know the spots!”

One social media user wrote, “Thank you @CoachJFernandez. For everything you’ve done for USF, and women’s basketball as a whole. Go get that ring with Paige and Arike. Burning all my Las Vegas Aces championship merch before my flight to Memphis today.”

The Dallas Wings are only set to grow and gain more attention going forward. According to reports, Dallas has a 40% chance of winning the No. 1 pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft. Additionally, the franchise also recently broke ground on a $48.6 million practice facility to support its long-term vision. To meet the team’s ambitions, Jose Fernandez will have to step up.

One individual wrote, “Paige’s early career championship is back on.” In the last 5 years, the Dallas Wings have had 4 different coaches, with Chris Koclanes’ tenure being the shortest. Therefore, to keep his newly acquired position safe, Jose Fernandez will have to use Paige Bueckers and other scorers to ensure the team at least reaches a championship-contending level.

One social media user, who also happens to be the President of the University of South Florida, Rhea F. Law, wrote, “I extend my congratulations and heartfelt gratitude to Coach Fernandez for his incredible leadership over the past 25 years at the University of South Florida.  Through his impact on our student-athletes, championship-level success on the court and the fans his teams helped inspire, Jose built a legacy of excellence that we will never forget at #USF.  We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

If you’re going to be a coach for 2-and-a-half decades, chances are that you will coach some legends. Sure enough, Fernandez coached 7 WNBA Draft picks during his tenure at USC, including two-time WNBA All-Star Courtney Williams. Now, he gets to train amongst the best that the WNBA has to offer.

A self-proclaimed USF Sports Junkie wrote, “Here is all you need to know about @CoachJFernandez at USF. Go into the arena, we have a bunch of banners for winning our conference and making post season tournaments. Every Single One Of Them Came during Coach Fernandez’s time at USF.”

Now, it’s time for Michele-Woods Baxter to add on to this legacy once the season opens for South Florida on November 3. As Rob Higgins said, “Michele’s experience and leadership will guide our student-athletes as they embrace a challenging schedule and compete for another American Conference championship”.

Overall, the majority of reactions saw people united in praising Jose Fernandez. How he will go on to fare alongside Paige Bueckers and Co. is something that remains to be seen.