Dawn Staley questions NBA’s readiness for female head coach

Dawn Staley’s resume speaks for itself. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. She has also coached the South Carolina women’s basketball team to three NCAA Division I national championships.

Staley was one of the candidates who drew interest from the New York Knicks after Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his head coaching duties in early June. The Knicks ultimately decided to hire Mike Brown. 

This week, Staley reflected on her interview experience and raised questions about the NBA’s readiness to welcome a full-time female head coach.

Staley’s argument centered on her belief that a franchise may not be willing to contend with the inevitable scrutiny of a team’s performance under a female coach.

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Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks looks on against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

“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 told reporters on 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 endure those types of instances when you’re going to hire a female coach.

“If there are NBA franchises that are interested in hiring a female… you’ve got to be ready to take on that and all the things that it comes with,” she added.

Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. (Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

When asked about her confidence in seeing a woman named an NBA head coach in her lifetime, Staley responded, “No, I don’t. And I hope I’m wrong.”

Staley also discussed her personal connection with Knicks executive Leon Rose and others.

“I’m a person that I need a connection to the people, right?” Staley said. “So I had a connection to him (Rose) and Worldwide Wes (Knicks senior adviser William Wesley), so I’ve known them all my life. And it was a real interview. And I like to see what they’re talking about.”

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley participates in the team alma mater following their win over the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 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 somebody that is interested in knowing and interested in being the first female NBA coach or such, I’ve got all the information. Come see me because I’ll get you prepared for the interview.”

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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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Dawn Staley floats theory on aspiring women NBA coach’s outlook