Dawn Staley says she would have felt compelled to pursue an NBA head coaching job if the New York Knicks had offered it, underscoring how the moment could have opened doors for women in the league.
Speaking on the Post Moves podcast with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston, Staley explained that a Knicks offer would have come with a sense of obligation that went beyond personal ambition. “If the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it. Not just for me, it’s for women. Just to break open [that door],” she said. “It’s the New York Knicks and I’m from Philly. But it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”
The Athletic reports that Staley impressed Knicks executives during her interview, but she was not among the finalists to replace Tom Thibodeau. Mike Brown ultimately was hired after Knicks interviews with other candidates, including ex-head coaches James Borrego and Taylor Jenkins, as well as Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, among others.
Staley emphasized that she wouldn’t have pursued a job simply because it was in the NBA. The Knicks’ history and how she imagined the organization’s future played a large role in her decision to engage in conversation about the opening. She asked several pointed questions about the organization’s willingness to hire a woman and what that would mean on a day-to-day basis.
“Why was I in the candidate pool?” was her first question. “Has the New York Knicks organization, in its history, ever had what you’re looking for? They wanted a team. They wanted inclusiveness with management, coaches and everyone. They wanted it to feel like a closely knit franchise. The answer was really ‘no.’ If you don’t hire anyone different, how are you going to get that? That was No. 1.
“How, if you hired me as the first female [head] coach in the NBA, would it impact your daily job? Because it would,” Staley said. “You’re going to be asked questions that you don’t have to answer if you’re a male coach. There’s going to be the media and all this other stuff that you have to deal with that you didn’t have to deal with and don’t have to deal with when you hire a male. That got them to thinking, ‘Maybe she’s right.’”
Staley, 55, has been South Carolina’s women’s head coach since 2008. She is the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball after signing an extension through the 2029-30 season in January. The deal starts at an annual salary of $4 million and grows by $250,000 each year, with a total package around $25.5 million and a $500,000 signing bonus.
Her resume at South Carolina is renowned: nine SEC tournament titles, nine SEC regular-season titles, and seven Final Four appearances. She is a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year and a seven-time SEC Coach of the Year.
Under Staley’s leadership, the Gamecocks have claimed three NCAA championships (2017, 2022, 2024), tying them for third all-time in women’s college basketball championships.
This moment adds to Staley’s legacy as a trailblazer in the sport, illustrating ongoing conversations about female leaders in basketball governance and coaching. Her willingness to engage on these topics publicly signals a broader push toward diversity in the upper ranks of the game, and proponents see it as a potential catalyst for future openings and new possibilities for women at the sport’s highest levels.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, Staley’s remarks highlight how important it is for teams to consider inclusive leadership and the realities that come with breaking ground. For fans and aspiring coaches, her stance reinforces the message that progress often starts with tough questions and a readiness to challenge traditional boundaries.