There's only one reason they wouldn't consider Staley: it's on her birth certificate.
resume? She has an unprecedented 109-3 record over the past three seasons at the University of South Carolina, amassing the biggest treasure trove of talent in the country, but it's in the midst of the NIL and her transfer portal turmoil. . It's been nine years since Kentucky reached the Final Four. During that time, Staley achieved her five of them and won three titles. “It would be so cool if Kentucky could hire a great coach from South Carolina who just won his third championship!” Former Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings Coach George Karl tweeted:
Why would a 6-foot-9, 290-pound high school center like Jaden Quaintance, who just started recruiting again, listen to a 53-year-old woman who's only 5-6 inches tall? Well, other than all the gold medals and trophies she won at the Olympics, I don't know. Why do young people listen to great teachers in any field? One of her old mentors, Temple's John Chaney, praised Staley for her ability to influence young people. I have once likened it to a wise man.
As soon as Staley opens her mouth, you can't help but listen. Because her wisdom and solid guidance flow from her like coins from a Las Vegas slot.
“What can't you overcome?” she asks her players. “You keep seeing it over and over again. And once you get through that, you can move on to the next goal.”
For men and women alike, college coaching has never been more complex. Raw talent with eggshell egos and access to transfer portals turned campus arenas into turnstiles. Zero funding and collectives from other schools coming in means you have to keep recruiting your own players even after you move them into dorms.
Staley did all the negotiating, and did so more smoothly and convincingly than any other operator in the game. She didn't miss a single transfer this season, but she split her time between nine players.
“For me, I would be surprised if any of our players decided to enter the transfer portal,” Staley said last week. “It's not that they don't have enough playing time or anything like that. It's how they're treated. They're treated like professionals. They're treated and communicated with. is listening.”
Many male coaches could learn lessons from Staley's NIL management. She's not sitting around mourning the loss of purity in the game while enjoying her $3.2 million salary. As Staley said, she makes sure to combine her opportunities with offers to the team. That way, players don't have to look like they're gobbling up the wealth they've earned “on the backs'' of their coaches. Example: When Staley received an offer from a medical company called Rewind, she asked the company to sign all of her players to contracts. “Honestly, I make a lot of money,” Staley told The Washington Post earlier this season. “I want my players to earn a lot of money…I am actively participating in helping them benefit from this field.”
Rewind not only gave each South Carolina player NIL money, but also stock options. Mr. Staley wanted them to learn what it meant to have “equity.” The agreement gave each player a share, avoiding jealousy over NIL opportunities and strengthening Staley's position as a recruiter. She is a coach who will try to get the trades going the way you want, and in some cases, she will even give you a portfolio.
“It's in our space right now, just like the enemy is in our space,” Staley said last week in an interesting rumination on how she would respond. “NIL is a part of our game right now. And we have to work on it and focus on that as much as we win basketball games. Because personality management, playing time management. , as there is a direct correlation to the ability to manage the NIL space, including staff management.”
What University of Kentucky player or parent wouldn't want to hear that pitch?
One of the demands of the men's game is having to replenish rosters and rebuild teams in just a few months. Staley did it better than anyone. Last year, she lost five players to the WNBA, including three first-rounders led by Aliyah Boston. Staley started this season with just four players averaging at least 10 minutes per game. For a while, it was like a “day care,” she says. Still, she went undefeated with them at 38-0.
Certain people are born with an aura of command and who do men listen to? Staley is one of them, and like Pat Summitt before her, her leadership is so clear that gender becomes meaningless. She doesn't coach women's basketball. She coaches basketball. She goes above and beyond and is the perfect candidate for any room, any job.