Knicks Contact Dawn Staley Regarding Coaching Position

The New York Knicks have allegedly reached out to Dawn Staley, the head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, to discuss their open coaching vacancy, as reported by Stephen Bondy. This comes after the Knicks parted ways with Tom Thibodeau following their exit from the Eastern Conference Finals.

While it’s unclear whether this conversation constituted a formal interview, Staley has been in this position before, having interviewed for NBA coaching roles in the past.

In 2021, she had a meeting with the Trail Blazers during their search for a head coach. South Carolina’s athletic director, Jeremiah Donati, verified that the Knicks did indeed reach out to Staley, jokingly expressing, “If I were them, I would have called her too.”

Staley, a Hall of Famer, has built a successful program at South Carolina, leading the Gamecocks to three national championships since her tenure began in the 2008-09 season. She often speaks passionately about her team’s accomplishments and the continued growth of women’s basketball. It’s kind of inspiring, really.

Meanwhile, the Knicks have conducted formal interviews with four other candidates for the head coach position, among them Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins.

In related news, the Knicks are reportedly bringing Mike Brown back for a second interview, as confirmed by Bondy. This follows some unsuccessful outreach attempts to other coaching candidates, including Mavericks’ Jason Kidd and Bulls’ Billy Donovan, who have chosen to pursue opportunities with different teams.