Dawn Staley Emerges As Option For NBA Coaching Vacancy

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Dawn Staley Emerges As Option For NBA Coaching Vacancy

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated May 22, 2026 2:27 PM ET

For the better part of 15 years South Carolina head women's basketball coach Dawn Staley has ranked among the best in the sport. As NBA teams start spinning around the coaching carousel, her name is apparently being added to the list.

Earlier this week the Dallas Mavericks decided to fire head coach Jason Kidd following two years of (predictable) decline following their infamous Luka Doncic trade. While the team is likely going to cast a wide net to help develop rising star Cooper Flagg, Staley is now being tipped by one anonymous NBA executive to get an interview.

Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that the executive said they would not be surprised if Staley got an interview request from the Mavs. And while the list of candidates the team will interview isn't yet known, it's expected to be long.

Five names to watch in the Mavericks coaching search. Read it for free. https://t.co/1nYl1aRo2D
— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) May 22, 2026

Last year Staley had a formal interview with the New York Knicks. However, she was not considered a finalist for the job, which ultimately went to Mike Brown.

Staley did, however, say in August that she would have accepted the job. But she also acknowledged that she might have turned off NBA teams by asking them how they'd handle questions about hiring her as head coach.

Apr 4, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley speaks to the media during a press conference at the Final Four National Championship Practice at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images© Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images

Leading the Search

The man in charge of finding the Mavs' next head coach is Masai Ujiri, who was hired as president of basketball operations earlier this month following a pair of very successful stints in Denver and Toronto that included an Executive of the Year award (2013) and an NBA title (2019).

Ujiri just so happens to be a part-owner of the WNBA's Toronto Tempo, which shows that he has a fondness for women's basketball.

Whether Ujiri would be willing to make those two worlds collide as part of his first big decision in Dallas, only time will tell.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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