Dawn Staley, the legendary head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, had an interesting take on interviewing for the head coaching position with the New York Knicks earlier this year. She wrote about that experience with tremendous foresight. Staley has a close relationship with Knicks team president Leon Rose and senior advisor William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley. She is skeptical that the NBA is prepared to start hiring women as head coaches.
Staley’s Gamecocks now hold the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. They rank second only to defending champion UConn. She also dropped a little nugget of info about how she would have taken that Knicks offer if it had come. Throughout the interview process she did not pull any punches in making it known that the organization needed to be prepared for very close examination. After all, she would be the first female head coach in the history of the NBA.
I came into the interview process with a pretty blank slate, Staley stated. “I don’t think the league is ready for such a historic hire.”
Staley ultimately didn’t win the job, after the Knicks opted to hire Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau. She is strongly competitive and committed to her own team’s goals. Despite the success thus far, the Gamecocks will encounter their own mountains to climb this season. They’ll especially miss Chloe Kitts, an AP All-America honorable mention last year, who will miss the entire season after tearing her ACL. Staley praised Kitts as “irreplaceable” for her intangible contributions to the team. Still, she’s hopeful that the significant injury won’t ruin their chances at a championship run.
“If there are NBA franchises that are interested in hiring a female, I’m here, too, because you’ve got to be ready to take that on and all the things that it comes with because it’s not just about hiring the first female coach.” – Dawn Staley
Staley’s coaching résumé is already among the most decorated in any sport. Even so, she remains skeptical about the prospects for women in NBA coaching positions. When asked if she believed that an NBA team would hire a woman as head coach in her lifetime, she responded candidly.
“No, I don’t [think it would happen in my lifetime],” Staley said.
She said she looked forward to sharing what she learned with those wishing to enter the coaching ranks. Should a candidate want assistance, she is prepared to provide it.
“If there is somebody that is interested in knowing and interested in being the first female NBA coach, I’ve got all the information.” – Dawn Staley
As the Gamecocks gear up for another new season, what makes Staley successful and unique is her continued fiery commitment to her players’ development. While she navigates the complexities of women’s representation in sports leadership, her commitment to developing young athletes and pursuing excellence in college basketball remains unwavering.
Leave a Reply