South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley would’ve been tempted by the New York Knicks if she had the preferred choice in their coaching search this offseason.
Staley said in the newest episode of Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston she “would have had to do it” in the event the Knicks made a serious offer. She emphasized both the prestige of coaching that team and the significance behind being the first woman to get hired as an NBA head coach:
The three-time national champion said she’s very purposeful when it comes to any interest from NBA teams. She told Parker and Boston she wouldn’t take the first job that became available and recounted how she “probably lost a job” thanks to questions she asked during her interview.
Staley said one such question was how hiring her as the first female coach would “impact your daily job, because it would.”
“It would because you’re gonna be asked questions that you don’t have to be asked if you hire a male coach,” she said. “… And that got them to thinking. That really got them to thinking, ‘Maybe she’s right.’ And then I felt the energy change after that.”
In the case of the Knicks, they settled on Mike Brown after a lengthy search.
Staley checks many of the boxes required to get hired. As a player, she was a six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time gold medalist in the Summer Olympics. She has an even better track record as a college coach, guiding Temple to six NCAA tournaments and then building a dynasty at South Carolina.
The 55-year-old has already gained legendary status with the Gamecocks, and she can keep coaching for another 10 or 20 years if she wants.
Staley would obviously become an even bigger trailblazer if she ever moves on to the NBA. Staying at South Carolina still allows her to make a sizable impact on women’s basketball and leave a long legacy.
