Dawn Staley’s Disclosure on $40M Paycheck Leaves Basketball Community Divided

The Knicks nearly rewrote history at the very start of this off-season, but hesitation held them back. When Dawn Staley was announced as a potential candidate for the head coaching opportunity in NY, there was one question on everyone’s mind: Would Staley leave Columbia for an NBA opportunity? As it turns out, the answer was a definite yes. “I would have had to do it. Not just for me. For women.” After all, some things are bigger than the game.

But why leave South Carolina? After all, Staley’s resume as a Gamecock speaks for itself. Not to mention, she’s a Philadelphia native–we all know how they feel about New York. So, here’s the thing: An NBA opportunity would be too big to ignore. We’ve seen women coaches in the league before (think Becky Hammon at the Spurs), but never at the head coach position. It would open doors for female coaches and women, and not just in basketball, either.

Another plus would be the contract. Dawn Staley is signed to the South Carolina Gamecocks for the next 5 years, earning over $4M annually. However, after Mike Brown got the Knicks coaching contract, we found out that Staley was slated to make more than double her annual salary at the Big Apple! Brown signed a $40mil/4-year contract, and in another world, it could’ve been Staley! But the Gamecocks’ head coach admitted that she might’ve been at fault for her rejection.

On the Post Moves podcast with Aliyah Boston and Candace Parker, Dawn Staley admitted that she might’ve messed up her own chances to this incredible milestone. How? By asking a bunch of questions that the Knicks didn’t know how to answer. She started off by asking, “Who they were looking for, why I was in the candidate pool, if I was so attractive, has the NY Knicks organization, in its history, ever had what you’re looking for?” 

But the real energy shift, according to the South Carolina head coach, came with the second question. “How, if you hired me as the first female coach in the NBA, would it impact your daily job? Because it would.” She said, and she was right! The questions, the narratives, the judgment, everything would be completely different if they went for a ‘normal’ candidate. That’s the problem with breaking barriers and carving paths: it’s always going to be difficult.

Although it was refreshing to learn about this exchange, fans are divided. Some believe Dawn Staley would’ve been perfect for the role, while others had a different candidate in mind.

Fans react to Dawn Staley’s NBA coaching snub

While NBA fanbases are normally quite protective of their organization, it’s a different beast entirely in New York. You’ve seen the videos, right? Atlanta vs New York in the postseason, the games in MSG? There were tens of thousands of people roaming the streets yelling obscenities and cheering their team on. So, it’s safe to assume that they’re no different when it comes to their head coach.

After Staley went online with her experience of the job interview, social media had a whole meltdown! And the reactions were a mixed bag to say the least. Some were in support of the Gamecocks coach, while others celebrated her rejection. One Knicks fan on X was adamantly against the entire idea of Dawn Staley coaching in the Garden. “Thank God they didn’t offer you the job then,” the user said, and another agreed, bringing up the potential media circus that was inbound. “Media would turn that into a f—n soap opera like they do w/ everything else.”

Dawn Staley brought up this very point in the interview with the Knicks, and her explanation was pretty simple. “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.” And at the end of the day, that was a major reason behind her rejection.

However, there were other factors involved in this decision that made fans doubtful. For one, Staley’s lack of pro coaching experience made her an outlier for a position that is coveted by just about every coach in the world! “Honestly, what business do you have being a NBA head coach? Let’s be real. It’s a different league from where you come from stay in your lane.” A fan said on IG. But that’s not necessarily true. A lot of coaches in the NBA have no actual coaching experience to speak of, like Kerr and Reddick, but still managed to make an impact at the highest level.

Staley’s strong presence in the huddle, on the bench, and inside the locker room meant that her players were always motivated and ready to win. How else would you get three nattys and a close to a dozen conference tournament championships? Dawn Staley’s run at the collegiate level has been legendary enough to warrant a Hall-of-Fame induction and to get quite a few Knicks fans on her side.

A couple of fans, under ESPN’s post, commented in the Gamecocks HC’s favor. “She could definitely hold her own in a locker room. Won’t tolerate no bs & also keep egos in check.” But even though Staley was an obvious choice for being the Knicks’ head coach, she also would’ve been the most polarizing hire for NY in decades. “She would have been the most radical choice but she damn sure is qualified for it.” Another fan agreed.

None of us were in the room where it happened, but the deal’s done now–Dawn Staley will not be leaving college basketball just yet! And to be honest? We’re kind of glad that Dawn Staley is sticking around for a few NCAA seasons. The South Carolina head coach has a lot left to do and many more national championships to win. Stay tuned, and keep an eye out for Staley in the upcoming NCAA DI women’s basketball season!