Dawn Staley Would Have Left South Carolina For Knicks HC Role

Dawn Staley has confirmed she interviewed with the New York Knicks during their coaching search earlier this summer, and the Hall of Famer says she was ready to accept the position if it had been offered.

“I interviewed for the Knicks,” Staley said speaking on the Post Moves podcast with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston. “It was the same interview that everybody else that was in their candidate pool. Same thing… I thought I did pretty well. I was well prepared… If the Knicks would’ve offered me the job, I would’ve had to do it. Not just for me, it’s for women. … To break open that. And it’s the New York Knicks, and I’m from Philly, but it’s the freakin’ New York Knicks.”

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

The Knicks ultimately chose Mike Brown after firing Tom Thibodeau, who had just guided the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in twenty-five years. Team president Leon Rose spoke with a wide range of candidates, including coaches with no previous head coaching experience, before deciding on a veteran.

Staley admitted she pushed the conversation into uncomfortable territory, asking whether the Knicks were prepared for the scrutiny that would follow such a groundbreaking hire.

Staley admitted she may have cost herself the job by asking direct questions about whether the Knicks were ready for a female coach and the publicity thats comes with it.

“Because it would,” she said. “It would. Because you’re going to be asked questions that you don’t have to be asked if you hire a male coach.”

The 63 year-old has built one of the most dominant programs in college basketball, winning three NCAA titles at South Carolina. She also coached the USA women’s national team to gold at the Tokyo Olympics and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist as a player.