6 days ago
South Carolina's Dawn Staley Reveals Surprising Team Who Pursued Hiring Her
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The South Carolina Gamecocks' women's basketball program has been among the nation's best since head coach Dawn Staley took over the program.
Staley originally became South Carolina's head coach back in the 2008-09 season. Before that, she had been the head coach for the Temple Owls from the 2000-01 season to the 2007-08 campaign.
Landing Staley has completely changed the Gamecocks. She has led the program to three national championships and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the NC State Wolfpack at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April...
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the NC State Wolfpack at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. More
Photo byWhile South Carolina's hiring of Staley changed everything for them, the budding legendary head coach was pursued by another school first.
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Recently, Staley opened up and shared that the Alabama Crimson Tide tried to hire her when she was still coaching Temple back in 2005.
"Alabama came after me first in 2005," Staley wrote. "I visited the campus. I liked the athletic director. But I couldn't see myself living in Alabama."
That was a stroke of good luck for the Gamecocks.
She went on to open up about wanting to coach South Carolina and why the job gave her so much intrigue.
"I was drawn to the fact that USC was part of the SEC and its storied legacy in women's basketball," Staley wrote. "Pat Summitt was in this league, Andy Landers, Melanie Balcomb, all these legendary coaches. I was looking to refine my skills, rise to compete with the best. The cherry on top was that my parents were originally from South Carolina."
Things could easily have been much different. Had Staley decided to take the Alabama job, there is a good chance that she would have never come to the Gamecocks. The entire landscape of women's college basketball could be different.
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Since taking the South Carolina job, Staley has compiled an eye-opening 475-110 record, which is good enough for an 81.2 win percentage.
Last season, the Gamecocks finished the year with a 35-4 record. They made a run in the NCAA Tournament and made it all the way to the national championship game. Unfortunately, they ran into Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma, and the UConn Huskies and lost by a final score of 82-59.
Despite the disappointing championship game loss, South Carolina is expected to be right back in contention during the upcoming 2025-26 women's college basketball season. With Staley leading the way, the Gamecocks are always going to be a contender.
For more women's college basketball news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
