Dawn Staley could coach men’s basketball, but she doesn’t want to. And that’s awesome.
In 1980, N.C. State wanted to hire Morgan Wootten as its next men’s basketball coach. Wootten had built DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland into a powerhouse, winning – at that time – four high school national championships. He’d win another one in 1984, a few years after he turned down the Wolfpack’s offer to jump to the Division I college level. When Wootten declined N.C. State’s overtures, he said, “As far as climbing mountains, they are where you find them.”
It is apparent now that Dawn Staley’s mountain is in women’s college basketball.
A week ago, before Temple University hired Adam Fisher as its new men’s basketball coach, there was a whole lot of folks on Twitter clamoring for Temple to hire Staley.
That notion is not totally absurd; just a bit misguided.
Staley is, indeed, a great coach – one of the best working in basketball at any level today (and one who coaches with a ton of style and swagger).
She has turned the University of South Carolina into one of women’s college basketball’s capitals. After leading the Gamecocks to a pair of national titles – and perhaps a third this weekend – the South Carolina brand is on par with UConn, Tennessee, Stanford and Notre Dame as a perennial power in the sport that wins titles and produces standout players.
But before Staley coached at South Carolina, she was the women’s basketball coach at Temple. She’s also a Philadelphia native.
And so, stuff like this was said when the Temple men’s job opened up:
If Temple really wants to win basketball games it should turn the keys over to a Philly native who is a proven winner.
Her name is Dawn Staley.
Easy choice.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 23, 2023
During a press conference on Thursday at American Airlines Arena in Dallas ahead of the Final Four, Staley set the record straight. She was asked about people suggesting her as the next head coach of the Temple men.
“No thoughts,” Staley said. “I don’t want to coach in the men’s game.”
She also added, with a soft laugh, “It’s cold up there too.”
Climates aside, let’s be clear: Dawn Staley can coach men or women, at any level, and be successful.
Let’s also be transparent about this: Being the head coach of the Temple men’s basketball team is a job that is beneath Dawn Staley. At South Carolina, Staley has a program that produces WNBA MVPs and competes for national championships. And South Carolina values her, giving her a seven-year extension in 2021 worth $22.4 million, making her one of the highest-paid women’s coaches in the country. Even if Staley was interested, Temple can’t afford her.
And let’s also be crystal about this: Staley’s eyes are not wandering toward other mountains. Being the best coach in women’s college basketball, and growing the sport, is the challenge that she has taken on. And some day – if we aren’t already doing so – we’re going to mention her name in the same breath as Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer as the greatest coaches this game has ever seen.
“Coach is a legend. That’s just what she is,” said South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston, who will likely be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft. “For us to be coached by her, it’s something truly special.”
People often suggested that Auriemma, Summitt and Stringer should coach men, too. They never did. When Summitt was once asked why, she said, “I wouldn’t want people to think I looked at the men’s game as a step up.”
Staley is making the same point here. She most certainly could coach the Temple men, or the 76ers, or Kentucky or whoever. And she most certainly would win a lot of games. Men or women, teenagers or adults, it’s basketball. And Staley knows basketball.
But she knows she doesn’t want to coach men. And that is perfectly fine. Choosing not to coach men does not diminish her accomplishments – 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven SEC titles, five Final Fours, three Coach of the Year awards, one Olympic gold medal.
Again, one more time for the folks in the back: Staley does not need to coach men to be great.
That people keep suggesting Staley should take a men’s coaching job says that they believe she would be successful at it. Doesn’t that already say enough?
This weekend, the average price for a ticket to the women’s Final Four is $97 higher than the men’s. Viewership for the women’s Elite Eight games was up 43 percent this year from last season. Viewers have consumed 4.7 billion minutes of the NCAA women’s tournament this year – the most ever on record.
And Staley and her undefeated Gamecocks are a big reason why.
“As far as using my voice, I think I’ve been asked a lot more questions because of our success,” Staley said. “I think the platform has gotten bigger because of our success.”