Dawn Staley questions NBA’s readiness for female head coach

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

Staley was one of the candidates that attracted interest from the New York Knicks after Tom Thibodeau was fired as head coach in early June. The Knicks finally decided to hire Mike Brown.

This week, Staley reflected on her interview experience and fielded questions about whether the NBA is ready to accept a full-time female head coach.

Staley’s argument centered on the belief that a team might not be willing to deal with the inevitable scrutiny of its performance under a female coach.

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“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 HE WOULD TAKE THE KNICKS’ JOB IF AN OFFER WAS MADE

“So you, as an organization and as a franchise, have to be prepared for that and be strong enough to withstand those types of situations when you hire a female coach.

“If there are NBA teams interested in hiring a woman, you have to be ready to take on that and everything that comes with it,” he added.

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts to 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)

Asked if he felt confident about approaching a woman who has been named an NBA head coach all her life, Staley said, “No, I don’t. And I hope I’m wrong.”

Staley also talked about his personal connection with Knicks manager Leon Rose and others.

“I’m a person who needs to connect with people, right?” Staley said. “So I had a connection with her (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 joins the team’s alma mater following their win 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 anyone wants to know and wants to be the first female coach in the NBA, I have all the information. Come see me because I will prepare you for the interview.”

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The UConn Huskies beat Staley’s Gamecocks in the women’s national championship game in April. South Carolina will open the 2025-26 regular season on Nov. 3 against Grand Canyon.

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Dawn Staley reveals theory on aspiring women’s NBA coach’s perspective