Dawn Staley-Jalen Brunson relationship, explained: How the South Carolina coach and Knicks star are connected | Sporting News

Dawn Staley's success at South Carolina has helped her earn a reputation as one of the best coaches in basketball, winning three NCAA championships in the past eight seasons.

While Staley could remain a Gamecock for the rest of her career, the coach's name sometimes comes up as a candidate to take over an NBA team.

Recently, an online rumor connected Staley to the Knicks during New York's wide-ranging search for their new head coach.

Knicks News: According to league sources, 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.

More here - https://t.co/16WxgNdxWQ pic.twitter.com/nlGPsY5SfW Hiring Staley to be the first women's head coach in NBA history would be bold, but Staley has a relationship with Knicks star Jalen Brunson that certainly connects the two sides.

Here's a breakdown of Staley's relationship with the Brunson family.

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Dawn Staley-Jalen Brunson relationship, explained Dawn Staley and Jalen Brunson have a relationship that dates back to before Brunson broke out in the NBA.

Staley, who is originally from Philadelphia, coached the Temple women's basketball team from 2000-08.

Temple also happens to be where Knicks' assistant Rick Brunson went to college in the 1990s, and while the two didn't overlap, that Temple connection linked Staley with the Brunsons.

In 2024, when the Knicks were playing Staley's 76ers in the playoffs, Staley attended a few games and shared a moment with Brunson before Game 4 in Philadelphia.

South Carolina's championship-winning coach also got the last hug from Brunson before run out https://t.co/QsJLRUiRIu pic.twitter.com/fs3ysMW1o1 Additionally, after New York defeated Philadelphia in that series, Brunson tried to recruit Staley to the Knicks' side with a care package that included merch and a picture of Jalen and Erica Brunson with Staley when they were kids in 2004.

Cant beat em join them.

Thank you to my @nyknicks peeps for sending the NY love package! Thank you Rick! Thank you Jalen! Family for life! Win that ish!! pic.twitter.com/FqOc5D2OAC "Cant beat em join them," Staley said on social media.

"Thank you to my [Knicks] peeps for sending the NY love package! Thank you Rick! Thank you Jalen! Family for life! Win that ish!!" MORE : Tracking the latest news on the Knicks' head coach search Women NBA coaches At some point, an NBA team will hire a woman to be a head coach, and that day appears to be approaching soon.

For a while, the most likely candidate had been Becky Hammon, who was a Spurs assistant for almost a decade before becoming the Aces head coach in the WNBA.

Hammon made history as the first woman to coach an NBA game in 2020 when she filled in for Gregg Popovich.

However, there are three female assistants in the NBA right now who could garner head coach interest: Indiana's Jenny Boucek, Atlanta 's Brittni Donaldson, and the Lakers ' Lindsey Harding.

Boucek is the longest-tenured of the four, as she's served as a Pacers assistant since 2017 and is coming off a year when the Indiana coaching staff came within a game of winning the NBA title.

As for college coaches, Staley is the most obvious name, but USC's Lindsey Gottlieb, Duke's Kara Lawson, and Notre Dame's Niele Ivey were all NBA assistants before taking their current jobs.

MORE : Ranking best Knicks' free agents targets, from Chris Paul to Luke Kornet Dawn Staley head coaching record Year Team Record NCAA Tournament result 2000-01 Temple 19-11 Missed Tournament 2001-02 Temple 20-11 First Round 2002-03 Temple 14-15 Missed Tournament 2003-04 Temple 21-10 First Round 2004-05 Temple 28-4 Second Round 2005-06 Temple 24-8 First Round 2006-07 Temple 25-8 Second Round 2007-08 Temple 21-13 First Round 2008-09 South Carolina 20-18 Missed Tournament 2009-10 South Carolina 14-15 Missed Tournament 2010-11 South Carolina 18-15 Missed Tournament 2011-12 South Carolina 25-10 Sweet 16 2012-13 South Carolina 25-8 Second Round 2013-14 South Carolina 29-5 Sweet 16 2014-15 South Carolina 34-3 Final Four 2015-16 South Carolina 33-2 Sweet 16 2016-17 South Carolina 33-4 National Champions 2017-18 South Carolina 29-7 Elite Eight 2018-19 South Carolina 23-10 Sweet 16 2019-20 South Carolina 32-1 No Tournament 2020-21 South Carolina 26-5 Final Four 2021-22 South Carolina 35-2 National Champions 2022-23 South Carolina 36-1 Final Four 2023-24 South Carolina 38-0 National Champions 2024-25 South Carolina 35-4 Runners Up.

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