Dawn Staley, the head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, shared in her book, ‘Uncommon Favor,’ that she was approached by Alabama in 2005 for a coaching position. However, she ultimately chose to remain in South, where she has since led the Gamecocks to remarkable success, including three NCAA national championships. Staley’s decision to stay was influenced by her family connections, the opportunity to work within the SEC’s storied basketball legacy, and her belief in the state’s progress on civil rights.
Staley left Temple University in her native Philadelphia after the 2007-08 season and was named head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team. In more than a decade and a half since, Staley has taken the Gamecocks program to unprecedented heights, leading South Carolina to three national titles during her tenure. She revealed in her new book that another SEC school, Alabama, had expressed interest in her in 2005.