Dawn Staley Named On Naismith College Coach Of The Year Watchlist

The head coach of South Carolina's women's basketball program has made a prestigious midseason watchlist.

This week could be one of the best weeks of Dawn Staley's coaching career. Tomorrow night against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Dawn has a chance to clinch her 8th SEC regular season championship with the South Carolina Gamecocks, along with her 600th career win as a head coach. These accomplishments could occur amid an undefeated season for the Gamecocks, with a record of 25-0.

Dawn Staley high-fiving Te-Hina Paopao during pregame warmups (18th Feb., 2024) / Jeff Blake | USA Today Network

On top of all that, Staley is, for obvious reasons, in the running for one of the most prestigious awards a coach can win: the Naismith College Coach of the Year award, which listed Dawn on their watchlist on Wednesday afternoon.

Top 15 coaches in the country – you know the 🐐 (and reigning 2-time winner of this award) is on the list! pic.twitter.com/gK7nZ1wnRE

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 21, 2024

Staley has won the award three out of the last four years. If she were to win it again this year, she would become just the third coach in the history of the sport (Geno Auriemma and Pat Summit) to have won the award four times and the first coach in history to have won it three seasons in a row.

You Might Also Like:

• WATCH: Dawn Staley Admits She Considered Retirement This Past Offseason
• Dawn Dishes On How South Carolina Overcome Early Game Woes Vs. Tennessee
• Dawn Staley Talks What She Learned From Team In Kamilla Cardoso's Absence

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