The New York Knicks have slowly turned into the internet’s favorite punchline during their ongoing coaching search. Every direction they’ve looked in? A dead end. The Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks all shut the door, refusing to grant permission for interviews with Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, and Jason Kidd, respectively. Naturally, the Knicks front office had to get a little creative. Why? Because the latest name linked to their head coaching vacancy is none other than Dawn Staley! Naturally, her comments about potentially taking an NBA job after signing her new contract were bound to resurface!
Dawn Staley needs no new introduction. NCAA championships, including an unbeatable 2023-24 season? There’s not much left to say about her. She is one of the best coaches in the college circuit right now. The Hall of Famer also reached the final of the big dance this year, but her Gamecocks couldn’t handle the spirited and determined Lady Huskies.
Naturally, getting linked with the Knicks job isn’t a surprise given her resume. According to a report by Knicks Fan TV, “both Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown are headed for a second round of interviews. Micah Nori is still being considered. The Knicks have also reached out to South Carolina HC Dawn Staley about the job“. As soon as the news broke, fans couldn’t help but go back to the comments Staley gave after being questioned about a specific clause in her new contract.
The Knicks have reportedly reached out to Dawn Staley regarding their head coaching position, per @KnicksFanTv
(h/t @Fullcourtpass ) pic.twitter.com/Nnb51mM8RI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 28, 2025
On January 17th this year, Dawn Staley signed a $25.25 million contract extension with the University of South Carolina, which made her the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball history. The deal that runs through the 2029–30 season and includes a $4 million base salary, a $500,000 signing bonus, and an annual $250,000 escalator. But that wasn’t all! One particular clause in her contract raised eyebrows! If Staley were to take up another college coaching job before April 15, 2030, she’d have to pay back the remaining salary owed to her by the University. But this doesn’t apply if she chose to take up a job in the NBA or WNBA!
Now with the Knicks rumors in full flow, it is only right to take a look at what coach Staley had to say about the clause! “It’s a give and take,” Staley said. “It was important for me to have a guaranteed contract, but to have a guaranteed contract you have to give them something. I will never leave here to coach another college job. I have the best of the best here. I really don’t have a passion for the next level, I don’t. I would have been gone, seriously. So to have it in there, it was just something fancy to have (a reporter) ask me that question.”
Though these comments are recent, a look back to 2021 shows she’s held this stance for years. She loves her Gamecocks and has never been that fond of the pressure being placed on women in the NBA. “A lot of people would be out there, just waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting for you to be wrong,” Staley said then. “There’s a whole dynamic that men, white or Black, just don’t have to think about. It’s a female thing. The expectation will be so much greater than the male coach. So much greater.“
As someone whose success has largely come from preparing college players for the pros, it’s hard to imagine her walking away from the college game anytime soon. She’s called it her passion – shaping young players to carry themselves like pros from day one, no matter their role. And the results speak for themselves: since 2020, she’s produced a league-leading 12 WNBA draft picks.
But while Staley’s comments hint that she’s committed to South Carolina for now, things in the coaching world can change in the blink of an eye. That special clause in her contract will never put an end to the speculation. And to make things even more interesting, one Knicks player has joined in to add more fuel to the rumors.
Karl Anthony Towns reacts to Dawn Staley rumors
Ever since the news broke out about Staley being interviewed by the Knicks, social media has been filled with various memes. One in particular took a hilarious jab at Karl-Anthony Towns for his well-documented foul trouble issues, which bothered the Knicks throughout the season and the playoffs.
One fan shared a clip on Twitter of Dawn Staley looking visibly frustrated during the national championship game with a caption, “Dawn Staley when KAT picks up his 3rd foul in the first quarter.” Instead of taking offense, KAT found the tweet hilarious and he retweeted the post with a simple “” emoji.
Now it remains to be seen if Dawn Staley really gets the Knicks job. As of now, the frontrunners appear to be Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins. So what do you think? Do you think Dawn Staley can potentially become the head coach of the Knicks thanks to the unique clause in her contract? Let us know in the comments down below!
The post Dawn Staley’s Comments On Taking NBA Coaching Job Resurface After Being Linked To Knicks HC Position appeared first on EssentiallySports.
