Which women’s college basketball coach is other players’ favorite? It’s a landslide

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 01: South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach  Dawn Staley giving out instructions during the Women's Final Four game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Louisville Cardinals on April 1st, 2022, at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
By Chantel Jennings, Grace Raynor and more
Mar 29, 2023

Players have the chance to get to know coaches during the recruiting process, and sometimes again if they transfer. But players also keep an eye on other teams and their competitors’ experiences. One of the most significant factors in an athlete’s college experience is her coach.

So we wondered, hypothetically, if players think about what it would be like to play for another coach. And, specifically, for which one they’d want to compete.

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During the Seattle and Greenville Super Regionals, The Athletic reporters took advantage of the open locker rooms to ask more than 85 Sweet 16 players this question and a few others. We granted the players anonymity so they could openly speak, and they shared some fascinating and candid insights. Check back Thursday for more anonymous player surveys.

If you couldn’t play for your current coach, which other coach would you pick?

RankCoachTeamVotes
1
Dawn Staley
49
2
Kim Mulkey
8
3
Geno Auriemma
6
3
Yolett McPhee-McCuin
6
5
Niele Ivey
4
6
Kenny Brooks
2
6
Kara Lawson
2
6
Tara VanDerveer
2

Also receiving votes: Courtney Banghart, Mark Campbell, Denise Dillon, Lindsay Gottlieb, Kellie Harper, Teri Moren, Sam Purcell, Tami Reiss, Vic Schaefer, Joni Taylor

Not a big surprise to see Staley atop the list, though the landslide by which she won is significant.

When asked why they picked Staley, players highlighted several reasons. Her track record as a head coach, undoubtedly, was one major reason, but players also like how she interacts with her players and her impact in the women’s college basketball world. Some players were drawn to Staley as an option for representation reasons. Here’s a sample:

“I just love the way she interacts with her players. You can tell it’s all business. She’s definitely tough on them but you can tell it’s tough love.”

“Just because of the person she portrays herself (as) on and off the court. She definitely speaks up for what she believes in and shows it through her coaching and through her actions and even the way she dresses. The way she is around her players. She’s a great coach.”

“Because she looks like me.”

“I would love to be coached by a Black woman. That would be cool to experience.”

“To be coached by a Black woman would be so, so cool.”

Read more: Women’s basketball experts’ Final Four and championship picks

What should the NCAA do better for women’s college hoops?

RankAnswerVote
1
Promote our game better
27
2
Better NCAA Tournament resources
15
3
Equality between men's and women's games
11
4
Mental health resources
3
5
NIL help
2

While equality between the men’s and women’s game finished third in this tally, it was very much the overarching theme of the top two results.

“We work just as hard as the men do. We put in the same amount of work, dedication, sacrifices. So I think that we deserve a lot of things that they deserve but we don’t get.”

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When women’s players talked about how they’d like to see the NCAA better promote their game and the women’s NCAA Tournament, it was largely in comparison to what they’ve seen done for the men.

“It’s often easier to watch smaller men’s Division I schools than us,” one said.

Another pointed out how their men’s teams NIT games were televised in a seemingly easier-to-access format than some of their tournament games. The idea of revenue sharing also came up.

“As athletes, we bring in a lot of money,” a player said. “The NCAA wouldn’t be anything without the athletes, so if we could just get a little part of something that they make, that would be amazing.”

In that same vein, many players talked about how they’d like to see better resources provided at the NCAA Tournament. Some of that came down to things like the swag bags players had received. One player wasn’t particularly impressed with the pillows the NCAA had given each player. “If you’re going to give us a pillow, at least make it a memory foam pillow.”

Another said that she was appreciative of the personal hygiene items but that the NCAA might’ve gone a bit overboard in that area. “There was lots of deodorant in there. I only have two armpits, why do I need so much deodorant?” she said.

(Photo of Dawn Staley: Bailey Hillesheim / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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