South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley revealed that she would have accepted the New York Knicks’ head coaching job if it had been offered to her. Staley, who formally interviewed with the team, explained on the Post Moves podcast with Aliyah Boston and Candace Parker that the chance to coach at the NBA level was simply too significant to pass up.
“I would have had to do it—not just for me, but for women. To break that door open,” Staley said. “It’s the New York Knicks. I’m from Philly, but it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”
Staley acknowledged, however, that her candid approach in the interview may have hurt her chances. She pressed Knicks leadership on whether they were truly prepared to handle the scrutiny and added challenges of hiring the NBA’s first full-time female head coach.
“You’re going to be asked questions that don’t come up if you’re a male coach,” she explained. “There’s going to be extra attention, and you have to be ready for it. I felt the energy shift after that. I probably shot myself in the foot by being inquisitive and asking those questions.”
In the end, the Knicks selected Mike Brown for the role. Still, Staley’s interview highlighted both her willingness to challenge barriers and her understanding of the groundbreaking impact such a hire would have for women in sports.
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