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Dawn Staley’s resume speaks for itself. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star. Olympic gold medalist and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She also coached the South Carolina women’s basketball team to three NCAA Division I national championships.
Staley was one of the candidates who received interest from the New York Knicks after Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his head coaching duties in early June. The Knicks have finally decided to hire Mike Brown.
This week, Staley reflected on her interview experience and raised questions about the NBA’s willingness to welcome a full-time female head coach.
Staley’s argument centered on her belief that a franchise may not be willing to deal with the inevitable scrutiny of a team’s performance under a female coach.
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Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks watches the Iowa Hawkeyes during the NCAA women’s basketball tournament national championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (Ben Salomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“If I’m the coach of the Knicks and you have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about losing streaks, it’s going to be about being a women’s coach,” Staley told reporters Tuesday.
SOUTH CAROLINA COACH DAWN STALEY SAYS SHE WOULD HAVE TAKEN KNICKS JOB IF OFFERED
“So you, as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared for that and strong enough to withstand those kinds of situations where you’re going to hire a female coach.
“If there are NBA franchises that are interested in hiring a woman… you have to be willing to take on that and everything that that entails,” she added.
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the semifinal game of the Final Four of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. (Ben Salomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
When asked about his confidence in seeing a woman named an NBA head coach in his lifetime, Staley replied: “No, I don’t. And I hope I’m wrong.”
Staley also discussed his personal ties to Knicks executive Leon Rose and others.
“I’m a person who needs a connection with people, right?” Staley said. “So I had a connection with him (Rose) and Worldwide Wes (Knicks senior advisor William Wesley), so I’ve known them my whole life. And it was a real interview. And I like to see what they talk about.”
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley cheers on the team’s alma mater after their victory against the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes at Colonial Life Arena on November 24, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Jeff Blake/USA TODAY Sports)
Staley encouraged aspiring female NBA coaches to reach out to her.
“If there’s anyone out there that wants to know and wants to become the first female coach in the NBA or whatever, I have all the information. Come see me because I’m going to prepare you for the interview.”
The UConn Huskies defeated Staley’s Gamecocks in the women’s national championship game in April. South Carolina opens the 2025-26 regular season on Nov. 3 against Grand Canyon.
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