When the New York Knicks started their search to replace Tom Thibodeau as head coach, they cast a wide net. That included talking to Dawn Staley, the South Carolina women’s team head coach, who multiple NBA front office people have told NBC Sports was the woman most likely to land an NBA head coaching job right now (Kara Lawson, the new USA Basketball coach, replacing Staley, is the other name that comes up).
That job offer didn’t materialize, and the Knicks ultimately leaned into a veteran NBA coach in Mike Brown. At SEC media day, Staley was direct and honest in saying she didn’t expect to see a female head NBA coach in her lifetime.
“I don’t. And I hope I’m wrong,” Staley said.
Staley said she took the interview with New York because of the relationship she has with Knicks president Leon Rose.
“I did the Knicks interview because I’ve known Leon Rose for 30 years,” Staley said. “I have a connection to him and Worldwide Wes. I’ve known them all my life. It was a real interview, and I like to see what they’re talking about.”
Staley also got into the details of the challenges both the coach and the organization that someday hires a woman coach would face.
“If I’m the Knicks coach and you have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about the losing streak. It’s going to be about being a female coach,” Staley said. “So you as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared about that and strong enough to endure those types of instances when you’re a female coach.”
Staley has a resume that should get her seriously considered for an NBA job. She has led the South Carolina women to three NCAA titles and coached the USA women to a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. All that is on top of being an eight-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time Olympic gold medalist as a player. However, what has most impressed NBA front office execs about her is that she has the presence to command an NBA locker room, she’s someone the players would respect.
But we may never get to see how it would play out with her.
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