Dawn Staley, one of the most accomplished coaches in basketball history, says she no longer believes an NBA team will hire a woman as a head coach in her lifetime — a conclusion she reached after interviewing with the New York Knicks earlier this year.
The Knicks ultimately chose veteran coach Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau, but Staley confirmed that her interview with team president Leon Rose and senior adviser William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley was both legitimate and thought-provoking. Still, she left the process believing that professional basketball’s top league isn’t ready to make such a historic move.
“No, I don’t [believe it will happen in my lifetime],” Staley said Tuesday during SEC media day. “And I hope I’m wrong.”
Dawn Staley on the NBA hiring a female coach:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) October 14, 2025
“If there’s somebody interested in being the first female coach, I’ve got all the information. Come see me, I’ll get you prepared. And if there are NBA teams interested in hiring a female, I’m here too.”pic.twitter.com/lZBHc8je5o
Dawn Staley Opened the Door — But Believes the NBA Isn’t Ready
Staley, 55, said she took the interview because of her long-standing relationship with Rose and Wesley, who she has known for 30 years. She had revealed earlier this year that she would have accepted the job if it were offered, saying the opportunity to coach in the NBA — particularly for the Knicks — was one she couldn’t have passed up.
“I would have had to do it. Not just for me. For women. To break [that door] open,” Staley said previously on the Post Moves podcast. “It’s the New York Knicks. I’m from Philly. But it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”
In her interview, Staley said she emphasized to the organization that hiring the first female head coach in NBA history would require unprecedented preparation.
“If the Knicks have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about the losing streak,” Staley said. “It’s going to be about being a female coach. So you as an organization, a franchise, you have to be prepared for and strong enough to ignore those types of instances when you’re going to look to hire a female coach.”
Lessons for the Future
Although she left the process convinced the league might not be ready for such a hire, Staley said she views the experience as an opportunity to help others.
“If there is somebody that is interested in knowing and interested in being the first female NBA coach, I’ve got all the information,” Staley said. “Come see me, because I’ll get you prepared for the interview.”
She also said she would be open to advising NBA teams that are serious about hiring a woman in the future.
“If there are NBA franchises that are interested in hiring a female, I’m here, too, because you’ve got to be ready to take that on and all the things that it comes with because it’s not just about hiring the first female coach.”
A Hall of Fame Résumé
Staley’s credentials are unmatched. The Naismith Hall of Famer has guided South Carolina to three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024), seven Final Four appearances, and a dominant run in the SEC with nine regular-season and nine tournament titles.
She owns a 475–109 record (.812) at South Carolina after an eight-year tenure at Temple, where she became the winningest coach in program history. Internationally, she led Team USA to Olympic gold in Tokyo and remains one of only two people to win the Naismith Award as both a player and a coach.
Her impact extends beyond wins — she has mentored stars such as A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Allisha Gray, and continues to champion opportunities for women in coaching.
Dawn Staley speaks on coaching in the NBA, saying “if the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/BnBGEskmNx
— Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston (@PostMovesShow) August 27, 2025
Staying Focused on South Carolina
Staley’s Gamecocks enter the 2025–26 season ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll, trailing only defending champion UConn. The program suffered a setback this week when star forward Chloe Kitts was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, but Staley expressed confidence in the team’s depth and resolve.
“We’re unafraid of going into season without [Kitts],” she said. “We’re not going to skip a beat. Our players know that when we sustain any kind of injury, we believe in the system that we put together. We believe in the players that we’ve assembled.”
Even as her focus remains on South Carolina, Staley’s reflections on her NBA interview underscore a broader question — whether professional basketball’s most visible league is truly ready for a groundbreaking moment that could reshape the sport’s history.
