After losing in the Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau and immediately began interviewing for their next head coach.
Mike Brown ultimately got the job, but he was far from the only experienced candidate. New York tried to talk to Jason Kidd, although the Dallas Mavericks blocked the interview. University of South Carolina’s women’s coach, Dawn Staley, was also given an interview.
The NBA has yet to have a woman head coach lead a team, although Staley is a prime candidate. She is a three-time champion and four-time Naismith Coach of the Year.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 22: Dawn Staley speaks onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 22, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Dawn Staley Breaks Silence on Knicks’ Interview
Staley made it quite clear that she did not expect to get the job. In 2021, Becky Hammon interviewed for the Portland Trail Blazers’ job after years of success as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. Chauncey Billups got the job instead.
Staley correctly guessed that she would follow the same route as Hammon, even with her impressive accomplishments. As a silver lining, she now knows more about what the NBA expects from a head coach.
“I did the Knicks interview because I’ve known Leon Rose for 30 years,” Staley explained at SEC Basketball Media Day. “It was a real interview. And I’d like to see what they’re talking about. And if there’s somebody that is is interested in knowing and interested in being the first female NBA coach or such, I got all the information.”
Staley has some of the best job security in all of sports with the Gamecocks. The same can’t be said for any NBA job. She knows well and good that if the first female coach struggles, her gender will be blamed for any shortcomings.
“If I’m the Knicks’ coach and you have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about the losing streak,” she added. “It’s going to be about being a female coach. So you as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared for that and strong enough to endure those type of instances when you’re going to look for or hire a female coach.”
With the Gamecocks, Staley has not had a five-game losing streak since her first season in 2009.
Staley Is Not Optimistic About Women Coaching
Like nearly everyone in the basketball space, Staley wants to see someone finally break the glass ceiling and lead an NBA team. However, she doesn’t think it will happen anytime soon.
When asked point-blank if she thinks it will happen in her lifetime, she was blunt and to the point.
“I don’t,” she said. “And I hope I’m wrong.”
Staley has ushered in WNBA stars like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Allisha Gray.
With legendary coaches like Staley and Hammon already having thrown their hats in the ring and being rejected for less-accomplished coaches, it’s hard to see a path forward for women in the NBA. The league prides itself on being inclusive and progressive, so hopefully Staley is proven wrong in the near future.
Perhaps she will be the one to make the change.
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