By the time Nate Tibbetts walks through his front door, the noise and pressure of WNBA basketball give way to something quieter—and far more grounding. Inside his Valley home, he’s not just the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. He’s a husband, a father of twin girls, and, more recently, the owner of two puppies.
For Tibbetts, leadership has always been intertwined with family. Raised in a basketball household—his father coached high school girls’ basketball—his childhood often traded traditional vacations for basketball camps, which would later influence his choice of career.
“I think just growing up in a basketball family,” he says of his draw toward coaching. “We didn’t do a lot of vacations as a kid. We did a lot of basketball camps … I fell in love with the game.”
Coaching felt inevitable.
“I always kind of viewed myself as a leader on the teams that I played on, and I always knew I wanted to coach,” he explains. “I didn’t know what I would coach … I just knew that I wanted to coach, and I had seen it growing up from my dad, and I thought that was a cool way to live.”
And it is. Tibbetts began his coaching career after graduating from the University of South Dakota. He worked with several teams, in roles including as head coach with the NBA D-League team Sioux Falls Skyforce and assistant coach with the NBA’s Orlando Magic, before being offered the head coach role for the Phoenix Mercury in October 2023. It’s been a fit all around.
The Mercury has had two impressive seasons, qualifying for the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025, with Tibbetts leading the team to its sixth WNBA Finals appearance in franchise history in 2025.
Bringing His Upbringing to Coaching
Tibbetts brings the foundation he grew up with to the job, sharing that it defines how he leads the team. Both of his parents were teachers, so Tibbetts learned early that connection matters.
“Just finding different ways to connect with your players,” he says of what he learned from his parents’ profession. “People learn in different ways. I probably lean towards the more positive approach … I want players to feel comfortable with how they’re playing and in the way that things are being told to them. I think just being around the game and being around educators as a young person really kind of helped mold me as a coach.”
He distills his coaching philosophy simply: “I would say that I’m a connector. I believe in building relationships with your players and building that trust and trying to get them all to believe in a common goal.”
That approach carried him through years in the NBA and ultimately to Phoenix, where the opportunity to lead the Mercury felt both timely and meaningful.
“First off, the opportunity to be a head coach again,” he says. “I just feel extremely blessed to be able to help lead such a great organization with such a proud past.”
Family, and Being a Parent
While being a head coach comes with high expectations, it’s his family that keeps everything in perspective.
“Having kids definitely changes your outlook,” Tibbetts says of his wife, Lyndsey, and twin 7-year-old daughters, Londyn and Jordyn. “This job and profession are very, very important, but having your family and kids and valuing that is even more important.”
For Tibbetts, home with family is one of his favorite places to be. As we talk, he shares how that morning, one of his daughters woke up early and began working on spelling words and reading a book before her sister was awake.
“Being a parent is a special opportunity,” he says. “You’re getting to lay a foundation of how they grow up and who they want to be.”
Home, for the Tibbetts family, is designed for exactly that kind of togetherness. When the move to the Valley was on the table, they toured multiple properties—and one feature sealed their final choice.
The Draw of the Backyard
“I would say the thing with our house is probably just the backyard,” he explains. “It was the pull for me. I think our goal was that, when the kids get older, people want to come to our house.”
The backyard is the perfect place for the family to spend time together outside and enjoy the beautiful weather Arizona offers, including pickleball, which has become a family activity.
The Draw of the Valley
Arizona itself has been an easy fit. Originally from South Dakota, Tibbetts and Lyndsey embrace the desert climate.
“We love the sun, and we love the heat,” he says. “There’s a certain vibe when you wake up in the morning, and you see the sun every day. Our winters are something special, as are the sunrises and sunsets. We’ve absolutely loved being here and hope to be here for a long time.”
He also enjoys many of the Valley’s offerings, such as restaurants like Blanco Tacos + Tequila and Fat Ox.
A Place to Exhale
If players expect their coach to have a more glamorous off-court life, Tibbetts is quick to set the record straight.
“I’m pretty boring,” he says. “I like to spend a lot of time at home with my family … just doing stuff around the house.”
After years of constant NBA travel, home has become a place to exhale.
“When you get home, it's just nice to be home,” he shares. “Also, there's just a difference going from an assistant to a head coach. As an assistant, you make suggestions. As a head coach, you make decisions that affect a lot of people. It's a very rewarding but stressful job at the same time, so when you do step away from the office here in Phoenix, it's like you just want to breathe and relax at home.”
Recently, that home also includes two energetic additions: Jimmy, a 10-month-old puppy, and Georgie, a 9-week-old puppy, who had joined the family just a few days prior.
“We’re all in now,” Tibbetts says of being a pet family, noting that the girls even made a checklist of responsibilities they were going to handle if they could get the newest puppy. “It's been fun to see the girls love on Jimmy. You know, they used to walk into our room and want to see mom and dad, but now they walk right past and go to Jimmy. And now Jimmy's not getting as much love because of little Georgie. It’s been fun to see them enjoy having dogs in their life.”
Looking ahead, Tibbetts’ definition of success remains rooted in the same priorities.
“Obviously, being a great father and husband is number one,” he says. “And then just the opportunity to continue to grow as a coach and a leader here with the Mercury.”
In the end, whether courtside or in the backyard, Coach Nate Tibbetts leads the same way he always has—by building trust, creating connection, and valuing the people who make a house, and a team, feel like home.